Chrono Corruption
by ChronoWeapon
Summary: It's the year 1005 A.D. and a band of treasure hunters known as the Explorer Corps find the legendary treasure, The Frozen Flame at the bottom of the mysterious El Nido Sea! Then they are arrested by the Porre Military and a cloaked man steals the Flame claiming to know its true power and sends two of the hunters through time! Can they get the Flame back? Only time will tell...!
1. Act 1 - Ch1: Secret of the Sea

Chrono Corruption

Act1: The Frozen Flame

Ch.1: Secret of the Sea

The Frozen Flame, a mythical treasure that draws the attention of all treasure seekers. Said to be merely a myth, the Frozen Flame is regarded by some as nothing more than a 'Fool's Errand', a 'Wild Goose Chase', and even a 'Tall Tale'. It's said it's a treasure that could grant any wish, what a laugh right? Just like a child's fairytale. That would make it a treasure to end all treasures. No known origin of the flame has ever been proven and it differs from storyteller to storyteller, from liar to liar, from scholar to scholar and from hunter to hunter. Most people believe it's nothing more than a rumor and that's the one's who have even heard of it, which aren't many.

People that know of it, all have different theories and stories as to its origin. Some believe it to be from an ancient magical kingdom that once floated in the skies. Nonsense…, I'm a Treasure Hunter and Archaeologist and while I've uncovered lost artifacts from distant, ancient civilizations, I've never found anything that says people lived in cities that were elevated in the skies. Still, that would be cool though… Nevertheless, others claim it's far older, like some ancient gem stone from the ages of the dinosaurs. This theory isn't entirely impossible; after all, I don't believe ancient man was as dull as the stones they used. I believe humans were always smart and clever. Other stories include things like the Frozen Flame being a highly advanced machine from far in the future that was sent back to record time and what not… That's a wild one, heh, heh, heh… Its purpose and appearance also differ from tale to tale. Some say it can grant wishes, but at a price, like your life for instance, to me that would make it worthless you can't even keep it then, or enjoy what you wished for. Others believe it's a rare mineral that can be used as a source of energy and that finding it would change the way the world works, which is very likely. Some even think it's some kind of weapon of mass destruction, which is laughable. Oh and get this, I've even heard that it's something that fell from the heavens, like a meteorite from some alien world. Yeah right, that's the most unbelievable one yet! Ha!

You want to know what I think... I believe the Frozen Flame, if it exists and that's if it 'does' in fact exist, it's a large uncut gemstone of incredible rarity, or a rare mineral of some kind. A mineral that, if found could easily be used to further technology in a number of ways. If found we may be able to trace it to where it can be found naturally. Then again, on the other hand, I also believe that it may just be some old man's hoax. A rumor started by some old troll under a bridge to confuse humanity and tease their greed. Then again, there is always some 'Grain of Truth' to these old myths and that, to me, is the real treasure. The truth… as corny as that may sound to you. But hey, am I really so wrong? The truth is a hard thing to find after all… and so many covet it… because so many conceal it.

*The Great Blue Ocean*

A medium sized water faring vessel made from strong wood and thick sails bravely sailed towards the most dangerous and treacherous part of the world's oceans. These waters were called by sailors, The Sea of El Nido. In these waters lie anomalies that defy what man knows about nature. Calm waters swallow ships whole with seemingly no warning. Navigators and their equipment are thrown off by strange readings that make no sense and many are lost. Many more are lost to terrifying storms that make mice out of even the most seasoned sailor. Today, it is the year 1005 A.D. and it is a calm day with not a cloud in the sky and a band of treasure hunting explorers called the Explorer Corps intend to go scuba diving in hopes of unveiling its mysteries.

A young man lies sleeping on the expansive bow. He hopes to abate his case of sea sickness. He appeared to be in his early twenties, had a sturdy build and was quite tall, measuring at six feet and four inches in height. He has brown spiky hair that was swept to the right side and he has soft dark green eyes. He wears a forest green scarf that is wrapped loosely around his neck with the tail end reaching down his back. A tight charcoal colored t-shirt hugs his wide shoulders, torso and deltoids. Over that shirt he wears an ash grey short sleeved jacket with a white woolen interior and brown leather covering the shoulders. The jacket's sleeves were rolled up at the hem and two small straps, one on each sleeve, both buttoned to the jacket itself indicated that the jacket had sleeve extensions for cold weather. His worn azure colored shorts were lined with deep pockets and were held up by a plain black leather belt. He wore two tin plated charcoal colored dagger sheathes, one at each hip, with two used and worn daggers sheathed in them. Other items included his personal favorite pair of yellow rimmed goggles placed around his forehead, charcoal colored finger-less gloves, forest green rolled down socks and charcoal colored boots with tin metal plates adorning the toes and heels. As he lay in the sun a seemingly ancient artifact in the shape of a simple skeleton key with a gleaming colorless gem stone set in it seemed to absorb the suns rays as it lay on his chest. It was hung around his neck by an iron chain.

The young man noticed the sunlight became blocked by a shadow that loomed over him. The shadow belonged to an irate young woman. She called out to him, "Ty…! Ty you bonehead are you feeling any better?" she scolded as he opened his eyes. He squinted as the girl moved as he couldn't look into the sunlight directly. He rubbed his eyes to ward off his grogginess.

Ty responded with a yawn as he sat up from his 'pillow' made from a coil of rope, "Yeah Tomo, what do you want anyway? You know I don't do well with sea sickness…, a nap is the only thing that cures me."

"I just wanted to let you know my dad says we'll be at our destination in a few moments, so you better get your gear ready," Tomo informed as she placed her hands on her wide hips. Tomo was also in her early twenties and was much shorter than Ty; she came to about five feet and two inches tall and had a very fit build, amber colored eyes and she has honey brown colored hair that was styled in a short spunky haircut with her neckline fraying outwards and curled upwards slightly, more so from the right side than the left. She was dressed in a white plain sleeveless leotard and a pair of charcoal black colored stretchy form fitting pants with an olive green waistband. An olive green purse was strapped to her hip on the left side and a brown leather whip at her right. Two large olive green pouches also lined her belt above her rear. She also wore a brown short jacket with short sleeves, a hood and zipper with two black horizontal lines running alongside the chest and white fluffy hems. Her arms were covered with charcoal black fingerless gloves that reached her elbows and she wore brown leather boots with fluffy hems around the ankles. She sported heavy beige sand filled arm weights and anklets to match and she had a wooden Ogan's Hammer strapped to her back alongside an olive green leather rucksack that was slung over her left shoulder. Lastly, the most mysterious item she carried was an ancient artifact in the form of a small sand filled hourglass. It too seemed to absorb the suns rays as it shined brightly in the sun. It was strapped to a small light silver chain that was hung around her neck. "My dad says that we'll be reaching our destination soon and he wants everyone ready!" she informed with her hands still on her hips as she tapped her foot repeatedly.

"Oh yeah, well Toma can just wait a few more minutes that's what he can do!" Ty said with a playful grin.

"Okay then, but you know how my dad gets when he's mad!" Tomo said as she pouted.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm up..," Ty responded with a stretch.

"I can't just leave you here to have naughty dreams all day!" Tomo teased with a smirk and a wink.

"Oh, but those are the fun ones! I think you were in one of them once!" he said returning her teasing. "Would you like to hear about it?"

She retorted with a mocking laugh and a slight blush, "Ty you're so much a prude that I sometimes wonder if you're even capable of naughty dreams!"

Ty placed his arms down as he cracked his knuckles. "Dreams about copious amounts of food are 'naughty' to you Tomo!" he ended with a chuckle.

The two began walking slowly to their destination while keeping conversation, "Well then just excuse this little piggy!" Tomo replied while she playfully stuck out her tongue.

Ty teasingly knocked on Tomo's head as if it were a door. "Careful now, you should really watch how much food you eat. After all, you know what they say, 'A moment on the lips, forever on the hips'!" Ty teased back. As Ty said that he caught a gaze at Tomo's plump posterior and thick thighs.

Tomo caught his blushing but nervous gaze, "Hey there, where do you think you're looking?" she asked with a giggle.

Ty shot her a rather cheerful gaze, "Nowhere special, but I'm not gonna lie your backside fills out those stretchy clothes really well!" he said politely.

Tomo felt a little irritated as she crossed her arms. "Humph! I wear these skin tight clothes because they are sporty and comfortable. Just so you know! So don't get the wrong idea and lose your self control!" she said confidently as she flexed a little.

"The only one around here, who can't 'control' themselves Tomo, is you!" Ty grinned with a chuckle.

The two bickered playfully until they parted ways at their respective cabins. The ship came to a stop and Ty and Tomo each came from their cabins now wearing swim wear. Ty simply kept his azure shorts on along with his daggers at his sides and his skeleton key artifact around his neck. Tomo wore a simple white one piece bikini with her olive green rucksack, her hourglass artifact and Ogan's Hammer still with her alongside her weighted anklets and wristlets.

The two met up outside and made their way to the Main Deck to meet with other co-workers. They continued to bicker playfully as they did so. As the workers gathered on deck, a muscular heavy set man with a big belly and strong burly arms stood at the bridge overlooking them. He had spiky dark brown hair with a scruffy mustache and beard and he wore round rimmed glasses over his dark eyes. He dons a beige bandanna wrapped around his forehead leaving the tail end to dangle off the back of his head. He is wearing a dirt stained, sleeveless white shirt with a burnt orange leather jacket that had many pockets with archaeological tools stuffed into them. A stone grey stretchy cloth sash held up his worn tan baggy pants and he wore baggy brown gloves with orange weighted arm guards with silver plating and orange boots with grey socks. Lastly, he carried a massive backpack with all kinds of equipment as well as small bags around his waist. "Well, thanks to you all for coming out here despite all the terrifying legends surrounding these parts, but that is what we explorers do!" he said strongly.

Ty leaned in towards Tomo and whispered in her ear, "Your dad really knows how to ham it up!"

"Oh, shut up!" Tomo responded with a heavy whisper.

As Toma XIV finished his speech, two more explorers made themselves known as they approached Ty and Tomo. A male and female, they are siblings and around the same age as Ty and Tomo. The way they dressed and carried themselves indicated they were very wealthy. The male has wavy blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes, was about five feet and seven inches tall and has a lithe build. He wears a lavender tunic with a black belt over a baggy white long sleeve shirt, a pair of tan baggy pants, white gloves, lavender boots and a dark purple cape with white animal skin trimmings with black spots both around his neck and at the tail end of the cape. He also carried a blue satchel at his left hip and a Mithril Rapier at his right hip. The woman was exactly the same height as the man, but her leather strapped indigo steeple mage's hat made her seem taller than she really was. She has long black hair with curled sideburns that framed her face, blue eyes and possessed a very voluptuous yet fit build with a large bust she proudly showed off. She was scantily dressed with only a blue long sleeved crop top that bared her midriff and matching loin cloth with an indigo cape. She also wears a black leather belt, a pair of white frilly gloves, black thigh high stockings and purple boots. She also brandishes a Mithril Rod for protection and had several pouches tied to her belt.

The man approached Tomo, "Ah, Tomo my sweet, I Gosh Lords have the honor of seeing you in swim wear today and even though it is of the simplest and most common of design your natural beauty makes it seem like one of a kind!"

Tomo seemed unimpressed and completely unaware of his affections, "Thanks Gosh!" she said casually.

The female approached Ty, seemingly with the same smitten affection. She inspected him and seemed disappointed, "Aww, I was hoping to see Mister Drayguard in his swim wear today! How come you are still in your shorts?" she pouted as she fidgeted with her fingers.

Ty also responded casually, "I am wearing it, Posh. It's under my shorts instead of my usual underwear. It's just a…, tad snug so I'm going in with my shorts on to cover it! It shrunk in the wash…," Ty said embarrassed as he blushed.

Tomo blushed as she shot Ty her astonished gaze, "What, you 'ARE' wearing something like that?! Now I have to see! That's so not like you!" she said growing intrigued.

Posh blushed but kept her clam composure, "Well then, allow me to show you mine first, perhaps then, you won't feel so self conscious!" she said as both she and her brother threw off their own clothing in a spectacular fashion. The two struck poses as they revealed their revealing swim wear. Gosh wore nothing but a pair of lavender swim briefs and his rapier while Posh had a skimpy indigo sling bikini that barely covered any part of her body. All crew members both male and female gathered around in pure admiration and lust to witness the scantily dressed duo.

Both Ty and Tomo blushed with embarrassment, "Wow, I didn't even know they made swim wear like that! Is that even legal?" Ty said as he gazed at Posh's design.

Tomo looked at Ty with a mischievous smile, "Are you wearing the same thing he is?" she said pointing to Gosh.

Ty's attention was now glued to Tomo, "No, I wouldn't say that...,"

"You are aren't you? Oh, you naughty boy…" Tomo whispered mischievously.

"Now listen here you…!" Ty retorted defensively. "Mine at least covers my thighs too!"

Both Posh and Gosh became irritated at being ignored so they decided to make a move. Posh interrupted Tomo by hugging Ty and this irritated Tomo, "So what do you think of my swim wear? I designed it myself! It saved me a lot of money on material!" Posh explained proudly. "Not that I needed to save money mind you!"

He blushed furiously in response, "Oh wow, yeah, I'll bet it did, barely anything to it, front or back!"

"Strong words from someone who chose practically the same thing as my brother, only yours is blue instead!" Posh said as she carefully inspected her crush's waistline.

Ladies in the crowd of onlookers urged Ty to remove his shorts, "I'm surrounded and everyone has the wrong idea now thanks to these two," Ty said hopelessly.

Gosh focused only on Tomo, who was growing more irritated with every passing second, "You needn't bother with that bonehead Tomo! It doesn't matter what he wears, I do it better!" he reassured poetically.

Before Tomo could respond, her father interrupted in an outburst of rage. "Will you morons quit clowning around and get your air masks on?! Especially you Drayguard, you swamp rat! As much as I love seeing Posh in her new little number we have a job to do!" he scolded furiously as he plugged his bleeding nose with a handkerchief. Ty vanished before anyone noticed and everyone dispersed in a hurry to please Toma.

Several workers moved four bronze crates up to the deck and placed two each on the port and starboard sides of the ship. They flipped open the top to reveal a mechanical three cylinder air pump inside. They attached air hoses to the bottoms of the crates and began to slowly crank them. Ty, Tomo, Posh and Gosh each placed an air mask on and attached the hose to the apparatus. Ty placed his goggles over his eyes, "I've always wanted to go diving!" he said with excitement as he placed black fish-like flippers on his feet.

"It's great and really refreshing too!" Tomo stated excitedly also placing the flippers on her feet.

Toma came forth with his orders, "Now, I want you guys to find as many artifacts as you can carry. Anything that might be of interest is valuable! Also, if the sea life is bustling, off some of them so we have some extra supplies for meals! Those are your orders, now get to it!" he finalized.

With everything checked and double checked, the party of four jumped into the ocean and it was warmer than expected. "Nice, I was hoping it was warm!" Ty thought as his muscles relaxed and the tiny bubbles tickled his skin. "Well, we are near the equator so I guess it would be weird for it to be freezing!" he thought. Ty then began to dive downward as did his co-workers, but they found the waters to more turbulent than they first thought. It wasn't long until they reached a shallow bottom however. "Alrighty, now it's time to look for goodies!" Ty thought with a smile under his mask as he swam around. He quickly lost himself to the beauty of the ocean floor as he gazed at the undersea structures and its inhabitants. Its most interesting inhabitant had to be the large amoeba like creature known as the Jelly Blubba. Its gelatinous body was shaped like a large gorilla but with no head and it had two large nuclei that acted like a pair of 'eyes'. Other creatures were mostly fish although one had to avoid contact with the Puffies as their poisonous spines would cause serious harm. The party continued to search for some time until Ty started coming to man made items half buried in the sand. "There we go, jackpot!" he thought as he eagerly began digging up all sorts of items, most of which included trinkets and ancient coins lost on ships over the years. Eventually, he filled his sack with all kinds of stuff until he made his way to a steep and dark cliff. Ty peered down into the watery darkness, "Wow, that sure is deep I must be at the end of the continental plate or something. I wonder how deep it goes?" he thought quizzically.

Tomo managed to make her way over to Ty and also carried a couple of sacks worth of watery goods. She waved cheerfully as she began heading towards him. The current got the better of her however and toppled her. With all the heavy stuff she carried and her weights on she fell off. "TOMO!" Ty shouted underneath his mask causing bubbles to escape. Ty dropped his bag and dove in after her as she struggled to untie her bounty from around her neck. The pressure of the deep quickly began to increase making it hard to breathe. Tomo gave Ty a desperate gaze until he finally was able to grab her foot. He quickly grabbed her body and unsheathed his dagger and cut the cloth from around Tomo's neck and freed her from the heavy bags. She then grabbed hold of Ty with her super human strength in sheer appreciation. Ty tapped her elbow comically and she quickly realized that the pressure of the deep was already causing him trouble. She let go and Ty tried taking a slow deep breath as best he could. As the tension lifted Ty caught sight of something looming out of the deep dark depths. It was just barely noticeable. It was a long skinny structure that stuck out of the darkness. Ty pointed it out to Tomo and while they could not discern exactly what it was, they both agreed that it was a man made structure. Excited but unable to withstand the deep pressure anymore, they grabbed each other in a hug with Tomo blushing as they slowly began rising to the surface. They did not want the Benz so they took their ascent very slowly and breathed regularly. After plenty of time, Ty and Tomo reached the surface.

The Explorer Corps workers helped them aboard and Toma was there to meet them. Ty and Tomo were physically drained from their endeavor. Posh and Gosh came up to see them as well each caring for their respective interest's condition. Posh knelt down and rubbed Ty's back as he breathed heavily, "Oh Ty, we were so worried! Why were you both gone for so long?" she said with worry.

Gosh did the same for Tomo, "Tomo my sweet is that bilge rat responsible for this?"

Ty then spoke, breathing heavily, "Toma, there's a man made… structure down there… get the bathysphere up and running!"

Tomo followed, also breathing heavily, "Yeah dad… I think it might be a ship… of some kind!"

Toma reacted with astonishment, "What, but the bathysphere is kind of a new invention we don't even know if it works! And just how far down did you two go?"

"I got pushed off the continental plate by the under toe…," Tomo began. "I sank for a wile until Ty finally caught up… I really don't… know how far it had to be… but the pressure was a real killer down there!"

"I'm just glad we didn't… get oxygen poisoning… even my skills with poisons can't cure that," Ty claimed.

"We could have been poisoned with… air?!" Tomo said in shock.

"Everything can become a poison Tomo… all you need is the right dosage…," Ty said with a smirk.

Toma interjected gruffly, "And yet somehow with a body like yours Ty, I would not be surprised if you or the rest of your family would be immune to oxygen poisoning!" Toma started. "I'll get the bathysphere ready. I want to know what's down there, but whatever it is its way too deep for a man to reach, so get some rest in the meantime!"

*At Sunset*

The bathysphere was a spherical vessel made of very thick steel plates riveted together with a bronzed finish and had a small very thick window with flood lights attached. Inside it only had room for two people. Ty and Tomo were aboard and they completed their tasks in preparation for the dive. Using the crane, Toma began lowering the sphere into the ocean, "You two be careful now especially you sweetie!" he said to his daughter over the radio transceiver.

"Right dad, we'll be okay!" Tomo responded over the transceiver.

The bathysphere slowly submerged while Ty and Tomo gazed out the window. In time, it dropped 100 feet, 200 feet and then 300 feet. Ty looked around and could barely see anything, "No I don't see the spire yet, keep going!" Ty said into the transceiver.

"Just how deep did you two get?" Toma growled.

Once the bathysphere reached a few more feet the structure that Ty viewed earlier came into view. "Found it Toma, keep lowering us!" Ty urged with excitement.

"I'm gonna turn the lights on!" Tomo informed, also excited.

Once she flipped on the lights the structure was now visible. The structure was a tower of some kind, definitely man made. It was covered with minerals from the ocean indicating it had been here for many years. The anticipation became disappointment however, once they reached the floor and the light revealed it to be nothing more than a small tower of twisted metal. "Aww, it's nothing but a hunk of metal!" Tomo whined as she stamped her foot. The shaking of the bathysphere made the ocean floor give way and continue the decent. "Uh, dad, you can pull us up now it's a false alarm…, dad?" she voiced into the transceiver only to hear static. "Rats, it's on the fritz!" she panicked.

Unbeknownst to them however, a large storm brewed and hit the boat hard. Toma suddenly lost control of the crane and the descent was continuing without control. "Everyone, help me get control over this thing! We have to get them back up here and get out of this storm!" Toma shouted in an orderly fashion.

The bathysphere began reaching depths of over 1000 feet and it continued this level of speed. Every fifteen minutes or so caused another 1000 feet to be breached. Tomo became afraid, "Ty…, how come dad isn't pulling us up?"

Ty gritted his teeth in worry, "I… I don't know, maybe something's happened…"

"If it has… we're done for…," Tomo said with a gulp. "I don't want to die I've never even had a boyfriend yet!"

The bathysphere began to moan a little as it reached 8000 feet depths. "H-hey Tomo, look there are fish down here after all…," Ty said nervously, trying to take their minds off the thought of death. "This sphere must be really sturdy, who made it?"

"My dad had it commissioned by Porre scientists, so I don't know how deep it can go…," Tomo claimed.

At approximately 9800 feet the flood lights shined on something unimaginable. Ty and Tomo gazed out the window and were speechless at what was being revealed to them. "Ty, w-what am I looking at?" Tomo asked in amazement.

"Good question, I was kinda hoping you knew!" Ty responded.

The lights shined on a massive structure, a building of some sorts. This was no ship that was hiding in the dark, but a massive facility of unknown origin. It was covered in minerals, sand and coral; nevertheless it was an enormous sight to behold, no other ship or vessel came remotely close to it in size. Small portions of the building seemed damaged while larger structures were intact. The bathysphere came to a stop of what seemed to be a large road that would lead into the facility and the vessel creaked and moaned in protest. The gauge inside the sphere read '10,000 feet' nearly two miles down. "Wow, I want to explore it so badly!" Tomo whined while she hopped up and down slightly in her seat.

"I know I really want to see what treasures lie inside!" Ty followed in her excitement.

"Ty, what if… what if this is where the legendary Frozen Flame is?!" Tomo asked with excitement.

"Oh… it has to be here, it has to be!" Ty said confidently. As Ty flailed in excitement he hit his hand on a switch which caused the bathysphere to transform. It gained four legs and two grabbing arms. "Whoa, this thing is mobile too?" he asked rhetorically.

"Where did the Porreans get this kind of tech anyway?" Tomo asked also surprised.

"Well, whatever, let's move around and look for treasure!" Ty said as he grabbed a control panel with two joy sticks. He moved the sticks around and discovered that they moved the arms. "Heh, neat I got the arms, so that must mean the control panel near you controls the legs!" he pointed out.

Tomo eagerly grabbed the control panel near her and began toying with it. She quickly grew frustrated, "Oh damn it, this blasted thing! What are these inverted controls?!" she complained as the sphere danced around humorously. "Got it, there we go! Now let's look around!"

The two began to use the bathysphere's new form to explore the wondrous new find. The form was slow but stable. Like a crab it scuttled down the road to a coral coated entrance. The two gulped in anticipation as they entered the building. The first thing they saw was a statue of a human with his arms outstretched towards the sky. It stood on a pedestal that had a bronze plaque that was illegible.

Looking past the statue revealed a collapsed bridge and a large open door on the other side of the room. Carefully, Tomo maneuvered the bathysphere across the bridge and into the next room. This room was also covered in coral and mineral growths but ahead lay a hole in the floor. Upon approaching the hole in the floor a faint red light could be seen illuminating the room below. Tomo perked up with a big smile, "Ty, are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Depends..., are you thinking of diving into the scary hole we might not be able to get back out of?" Ty started sarcastically. "Or that, that red light below might be coming from the world's most mythical legend?"

"The latter, let's go!" Tomo said as she plunged the bathysphere into the hole. Luckily, it was not very deep but it did lead to a large room with a very long bridge ahead of them. In the distance of total darkness a twinkle of red light lay at the center of the room. Tomo gunned it and in a matter of moments they came within view of their prize. What they saw was amazing. A strange red object coated with sea salts and corals with an almost otherworldly design suddenly reacted to their presence. It opened like some kind of insect until its shape resembled a 'flame' and had two eye-like structures at the center that seemed to peer at them. "Ty this is it! This is the Frozen Flame! We're gonna be the most famous people ever! Grab it Ty!"

"Well what do you know, it does exist! It's a whole lot creepier than I thought it would be, meh who cares I'm takin' it!" Ty said with a smirk. Ty grabbed the Flame with the robotic arms and it folded up taking its ball-like shape again. Its red light went out as well, but they had it, the item of legend. The two sighed with relief back to back. Before they could rejoice a tug came on the bathysphere's cable dragging them up back through the futuristic ruins. Ty grabbed the transceiver, "Toma wait a minute, we're okay! Just give us a minute! Stop pulling us up!" he shouted furiously. To no avail, the transceiver only gave off static in return. The bathysphere collided with the statue at the front of the ruins knocking it down on its way out the door. This caused the bathysphere to moan and spring a small leak. "Oh crud, Toma if you heard that last message forgo it, pull us up, pull us up!" he yelled into the transceiver loudly.

"I hope we make it back up before we become pancakes!" Tomo said worriedly.

"Yeah, or else no one will ever know this is down here!" Ty added with concern.

*On the Surface*

The bathysphere finally broke the surface and the door was quickly kicked opened. Water came from the bathysphere and Ty and Tomo leaned out to meet a crisp cool night. "Oh thank heavens we almost flooded completely!" Ty said with relief.

Tomo struck Ty comically over the head with her fist, "We would have had a lot more air if you weren't always yelling into that transceiver you block head!"

The crane brought the damaged bathysphere to the deck and they climbed out breathing heavily. "Thanks guys you're a like saver!" he said as Toma and the Lords siblings came rushing up to them in worry.

Toma came to his daughter and rudely brushed Ty aside, "Are you alright?" he said as any caring dad would.

Gosh rushed to her as well while Posh went to Ty's side, "I was worried sick! You should have just let Ty go! He 'is' the most expendable of all of us after all!" Gosh said belittling Ty.

Tomo simply attempted to quell their concern as she tried to keep her embarrassment down. Meanwhile, Posh held Ty's arm, squashing his upper arm into her bust, "I'm glad you're alright… Don't worry you're not as expendable as he says! Well, errm…, what I mean to say is… Oh, my…"

Ty shrugged off the insults, "Don't worry about it. Let's just get ourselves cleaned up and take a look at our find," he said with a slightly glum tone.

*Later, On the Bridge Deck*

"You found the WHAT?!" shouted Toma and the Lords siblings simultaneously.

Ty sat a large wooden chest on a table, "Yep you heard me, the Frozen Flame! It was stashed in that weird building at the bottom of the sea. I have no idea what it was doing there, but we found it!" Ty said cheerfully.

Ty casually opened the box and pulled out a small sack. Tomo continued the explanation, "We were careful not to touch it because we have no idea what it does or even if it's harmful," she said.

As the sack was untied the contents seemed surprising, but in the disappointing sort of way. The Frozen Flame was nothing but a round chunk of what seemed to be coral and other sea minerals. Toma grew angry at the sight, "What is this? Do you expect me to believe this chunk of coral is the legendary Frozen Flame?"

Tomo stopped her dad, "No daddy, we both saw it! It glowed just like the legends say! It just folded itself back up again. It has this… 'compact' state or something…," she explained haphazardly.

"Compact state…?" Toma said calming down. "It can open and close?"

"I know we just have to get it all cleaned up!" Ty said as he unsheathed his dagger. He brought his dagger down and began chipping away at the coral until a small eye-like apparatus opened up and peered up at him unknowingly. Ty brought down his dagger again and hit the eye-like structure and the room was enveloped by an enigmatic force accompanied by a blinding red light. It was so forceful it placed all occupants on the bridge firmly on their backsides as well as blowing out all the windows. The light cast forth a pillar into the night sky. As quickly as it came, the light vanished leaving everyone groggy as Ty rolled over and struggled to open his eyes. As he sat up he quickly noticed his key around his neck was glowing and his skin felt like it was crawling. The dusty old skeleton key seemed to radiate with power and the gem set in it shined like the bright morning sky. The gemstone even had torrents of energy that resembled clouds moving within. The power made Ty feel strange as he inspected his arms for the source of the tingly feeling. He gazed in awe that his blood veins glowed through his skin with the same bright red light the Flame unleashed. As the light resonated from the key it synchronized perfectly with the luminescence of his veins. "Whoa, what is this? I feel really weird…, like I can move the air or something!" he said as he made a slight push motion with his hands. A small gust of air came forth from his hands and blew some papers off the table the Frozen Flame was sitting on. "That…, that was also weird…," Ty thought out loud as his body went seemingly back to normal. The light also faded from the key, but its gemstone still shined.

Tomo got up and she was also in the same condition. She gazed at her Hourglass trinket and it too was glowing along with her blood veins. Yellow energy collected in her hands as she smiled with cheer, "Alright the Frozen Flame must have recharged my Crystal Hourglass!" she said.

Ty looked her over as she reverted to normal, "What do you mean 'recharged'?" he asked dumbfounded.

"Oh, was your Cloud Key dead this whole time?" Tomo asked curiously. "My Crystal Hourglass had power when my dad found it for me when I was little. I was able to use a little magic here and there with that power. It was cool so I never let anyone know that. Your 'Cloud Key' and my timer must be made out of the same stuff. I'm thinking they are made out of the ancient minerals the Dreamstone and Sunstone!"

"Nice, I'm glad I collect keys!" Ty said enthusiastically. "So wait then, you could use magic before? What could you do exactly?"

Tomo's expression changed to one of slight embarrassment, "Uh, it's kinda hard to explain, so I'll show you later! If you don't mind that is… So what does your Cloud Key let you do?"

Ty seemed suspicious but decided to drop it in favor of learning what he could do with the Cloud Key. "Well, let's see here now…," he started as he moved his hands back and forth in a pull and pushing motion. The air in the room followed his motions without missing a beat as it howled through the broken windows. He laughed with glee as if he were a child with a brand new toy. "I don't know how I can explain this, but it's like moving a part of my own body! I just know how!"

Tomo brought her arms inward in excitement, "That's so cool Ty! I always knew you were full of hot air!"

Toma and the Lords siblings got up wearily and began growing curious. "What was that?" Toma started in confusion.

"I guess this thing really is the Frozen Flame!" Gosh said as he cowered back.

"Magnificent, should we head back to Choras now?" Posh asked with satisfaction.

Toma stepped forward to see that the Frozen Flame was still in its dormant state. He quickly wrapped it back up and carefully placed it back into the box. "Okay everyone, get some rest! We're headed for home in the morning. We're going to change history once we get back!"

*Later, On the Weather Deck*

Ty was up late that night outside on the weather deck on the ship. He was practicing using his newfound power. "I hope this isn't all I can do!" he said stressed.

Tomo came up to him from behind, "Couldn't sleep, huh?" she said as she placed her hand on her hip.

"Not a wink…," Ty said as sweat fell from his brow.

"Since we have this power now do you wanna practice a bit?" Tomo suggested.

"Sure do! I want to know everything about this!" he said firmly.

"Well let me show you what I can do!" she said excitedly. She placed a large rock on the deck and stepped back to Ty. "Watch closely now!" she said cheerfully as she pointed her index finger outward and a yellow stream of light emanated from it and hit the rock. The rock transfigured into a small craggy piece of red material. Ty was stunned as she went over to retrieve the item. She popped the strange material into her mouth and chewed it up. It had become rock candy. "I call this spell, 'Gastromorph'. With it, I can transform anything into an edible foodstuff. I always got sick of not being able to eat when on long trips with dad so I made this spell so I would never go hungry."

"Can you make different things other than rock candy?" Ty asked curiously.

"It depends on what I hit with it…," Tomo started. "I haven't used it on nearly everything out there but I know that animals become a slab of mystery meat, bugs become gummies, Fiends become pastries and inanimate objects always become hard candies. It also doesn't affect humans."

"Well that's a relief, but you still might want to be cautious you might become a monster if you eat too many!" Ty teased.

Tomo seemed flustered, "This coming from a man who boosts his immunity with self poisoning techniques!"

"All right, you want to spar so I can come up with a spell?" Ty asked as he unsheathed his daggers in a playful manner.

Tomo took her hammer from her back with a wide grin, "You know it! I'll pummel you into oblivion with my strength!"

"Heh, you gotta catch me first woman!" Ty taunted.

*End of Chapter*


	2. Act 1 - Ch2: A Raid at Sea

Chrono Corruption

Act 1: The Frozen Flame

Chapter 2: A Raid at Sea

Ty and Tomo lay exhausted on the weather deck and gazed at the night sky. "So many beautiful stars out tonight," muttered Ty.

"Yeah, so could you think of a spell?" Tomo asked hopefully. "Cause, I think I have an idea on what to do with my next spell!"

"Oh really?" Ty asked curiously. "What's that?"

"It's a secret!" Tomo began playfully. "But I'll give you a hint! Apparently, I can mess with rocks like you can mess with the air."

"What are you gonna do with that? Throw a rock at me?" Ty asked jokingly.

"Jerk, you'll see…," Tomo replied humorously. "It'll be much more effective than you throwing a breeze at me!"

Then a sudden noise could be heard on the port side of the ship. A siren went off from another nearby ship that pulled beside their port side. "What's going on?" Ty said annoyed.

"Let's go take a look! That is ridiculously annoying! There are people trying to sleep on this ship!" Tomo retorted angrily.

*Main Deck*

As Ty and Tomo made their way to the Bridge of the ship they bared witness to a Porrean Vessel outfitted with cannons and military troops. They had already boarded via planks that reached the Promenade Deck. Toma was just about to meet with the ship's captain. The Captain was a very tall, sturdily built middle aged man who seemed to be in his early forties. His brown graying hair was combed neatly and he had a well groomed light brown beard that also showed signs of graying and bushy eyebrows. His wardrobe was mostly militaristic with a black trench coat with white skeletal trimmings, black baggy pants, black boots and gloves and a white ruffled scarf tucked into his popped up collar. "That's Captain Zorander Viper!" Ty said with a look of fear.

Tomo was just as fear stricken, "W-What's he doing here?" she muttered.

"I don't know, but your dad seems to hate the fact he's here," Ty retorted as he observed Toma's distress.

Captain Viper and Toma XIV stood face to face as their conversation quickly heated up. Ty and Tomo could not discern what they were talking about, but with each passing minute Toma grew more irritable.

"What's the meaning of this Viper?!" Toma said angrily.

Viper got a good look at Toma and smirked, "Well, it seems you have put on a lot of weight recently Toma. Enjoying the finer things in life a bit too much, eh?"

"Don't dodge my question Viper!" Toma scoffed. "What are you doing boarding my ship without an invitation?!"

Viper remained calm and collected, "Well, my men and I were doing our rounds until the officer on the crow's nest spotted a pillar of red light not to far from our position. We were wondering what it was so I ordered my ship to head to it. Simple as that."

Toma calmed down, but still remained on edge, "Well as you can see we are okay and there is no danger. We just had some... difficulties with the distress flares is all."

Viper was unconvinced, "Excuse me Toma, but I know as well as you do that, that was no 'flare'. Which brings me to my next point. What did you find out here Toma? I'm not disembarking until you tell me the truth. You found something extraordinary didn't you?"

Toma relented with a heavy sigh, "Posh, Gosh get Ty and my daughter down here."

The Lords siblings nodded in obedience. They quickly went to find Ty and Tomo.

Tomo looked on as the Lords siblings hurried off rather frantically, "What do you suppose those two are so flustered over?"

"I don't know, but I don't like it," Ty responded. "Viper must be here because he saw the light the Flame gave off. Let's see if we can't hide the Frozen Flame. Just in case."

Ty searched the Bridge for a safe place to store the Flame, but found it to be fruitless. "Bah, there's no good place to stash this thing!" he snarled.

Tomo tapped her foot nervously, "We've got to think of something!"

Just then, the Lords siblings entered the Bridge and they seemed very nervous. "Oh thank goodness!" Gosh said relieved a bit.

"We we're hoping you two were up here!" Posh followed also calming down.

"Viper wants to know what we found!" Gosh said with alarm.

"What should we do?" Posh asked hoping for an idea.

Ty paused for a moment. He then gazed at everyone with a grin, "We tell him the truth. We found a chunk of coral and nothing more."

"He may buy that, but how do we explain the light it emitted?" Posh asked with concern. "Surely there is nothing else in this world that could emit such a light?"

The four hunters paused for a moment until Tomo got an idea, "Wait, I know!" she started with a confident grin. "Ty and I saw a really weird structure in the deep waters! Why don't we tell Viper the light came from underneath us, from the structure I mean and not from the ship?"

Gosh fell into an infatuated stupor, "Oh wonderful, Tomo my sweet! Your idea is fool proof!"

"Yes, that isn't in poor taste at all!" Posh said in agreement. "We can tell Viper whatever made the light is still down there. If he buys our story he may take over searching the sea himself and we will be back on our way home!"

"Alright let's tell him the truth!" Ty said as the four left the bridge.

Standing before Viper and his men felt like a trial of sorts. Ty stepped forward and threw down a bag of odds and ends the party found while scuba diving. "This is all we found Viper. No legendary treasure, just some old stuff from old ships and nothing more."

Viper remained unconvinced, "Hmm, I will buy that story if you can explain the strange light show we saw."

Tomo stepped forward and placed the backs of her wrists on her hips while wearing a sort of defiant attitude. "Well, if you must know we found a mysterious structure beneath the waves when me and Ty were using the bathysphere. This structure was like nothing we'd ever seen! It was covered in coral and undersea minerals, but it looked... futuristic? I want to call it? Anyway, we interacted with the structure and it made a huge tower of light that lit up the entire bottom of the sea!" she lied solidly.

Viper paused and his stone cold face raised one eye brow. He then burst into laughter, "Young lady, I do believe you have been reading to many science fiction novels! What makes you think I would believe such a tall tale?!"

In an instant, Viper's words struck fear into Tomo, Ty, Posh and Gosh. Tomo protested, "No its not a lie, there really is a structure down there!" she pleaded.

"Rats, I didn't anticipate the truth would be so hard to believe!" Ty thought in surprise.

"Well if you don't want to tell me the truth, then let me show you what the future really holds!" Viper said strongly. "MUSTARL! RALSH! COME!" commanded Viper.

Two large figures jumped from the upper promenade deck of Viper's ship. When they landed before the party it became apparent that these two figures were mechanical and not human or fiend. The one to Viper's left, was thin and green with long skinny limbs. Its head was long but rounded with noticeable ears and slit shaped eyes and mouth. Its figure resembled the likeness of ancient stone fetishes in tribal cultures. The one to Viper's right was much more bulky with wide hips and shoulders. Its head was ovular with large round eyes and ears. It too resembled ancient tribal fetishes. Finally, they both had large silver windup keys in their backs.

"What are these things?!" Ty asked in astonishment. "Puppets?!"

"I don't know, but they look like ancient statues we've found before!" Tomo stated in awe.

"Mustarl, Ralsh, arrest all crew members of this ship and escort them to our brig!" Viper commanded. "These cretins call themselves treasure hunters! I call them what they really are! Thieves, grave robbers and criminals! Further more, they have entered into Porrean waters without permission! See to it that they are detained! Dragoons, search this ship for their stolen goods! Have I made myself clear?"

Everyone was in shock as Viper's men quickly mobilized and began to carry out their mission. Toma cried out in anger, "Have you gone mad Viper?! Who says the Sea of EL Nido is Porrean property?!"

The two mechanical puppets obeyed their master and quickly moved around the deck of the ship in an odd rickety fashion. The two figures then began abducting Toma's crew with simplistic ease alongside Viper's Dragoons. Toma's crew members fought back with their cutlass's as everything turned into an old fashioned brawl.

Posh cried out to Ty, "What do we do now Mister Drayguard?!"

"We'll just have to fight our way out of this!" Ty said drawing his daggers.

"Um, hello! In case you haven't noticed there are way too many of them and to top it all off we are trapped on this ship!" Gosh said with a realistic tone to his statement.

"You got any other bright ideas?!" Tomo snapped as she firmly grasped her hammer. The four then grouped together as they were surrounded by several Dragoons. The Dragoons wore grey metal body armor with brown cloth pleated skirts around their waists and they wielded plain iron swords and their iron helmets covered all but their mouths and noses.

One of the Dragoons rushed Ty with his sword, but Ty parried with his left dagger and attacked with his right dagger, sinking it into the man's unarmored triceps. He dropped his sword and backed off as two more took his place. Tomo managed to block and parry most sword swipes with her hammer and then retaliate with powerful blows while Posh and Gosh defended with their own mithril weapons. Gosh locked himself into a duel with a Dragoon until he managed to disarm the man. It did not take long for another Dragoon to take his place however. Posh found herself in the hardest position. She mainly protected herself with blocks using her mithril rod while staying close to her brother or Ty.

Ty kept his opponents at bay with lighting fast dagger strikes and deflections erstwhile 'Plundering' the Dragoons pockets for extra money or goods. However, this strategy began to fail once the Dragoons changed their own tactics. This forced Ty to stop his plundering and withdraw, "We need to retreat and get in a better position!" he announced to his teammates.

"I know! We're sitting Bellbirds out here!" Tomo said as she batted a Dragoon away from her.

Then suddenly, Mustarl and Ralsh appeared opposite to one another surrounding them. "Oh, forget that we're done for!" Gosh said with an expression of fear.

"No, we can't give in like this!" Ty said as he faced Ralsh. "We are so close to making the biggest historical discovery ever!" he finished as he dashed towards the machine with his daggers held in a reverse grip. Ralsh did not move as Ty leaped into the air and slashed the mechanical doll with all his might. As Ty landed he turned his gaze towards Ralsh who was not even the least bit scratched or fazed by the attack. He was in shock.

Tomo did the same to Mustarl with her hammer but it only bounced off also giving her an expression of fear and awe. "But... but I'm super strong! How did my hammer do nothing?!"

"Well then... it seems we have to try our new 'special techniques' out, huh Tomo?" Ty smiled with unease.

"No Ty, don't be reckless!" Tomo shouted in resistance. "You haven't even learned one yet!"

Ty braced himself in an awkward stance with his legs spread and arms outstretched weakly. His Cloud Key reacted to his emotions and his body was surrounded with a green luminescence. "Ha, not to worry Tomo, I got this all under control!" he said with reassurance. He then gave a powerful war cry as he threw his hands downward as if to 'fan' his opponent. Unfortunately, that is literally all he did was give a cooling breeze to Ralsh. He gasped in horror, "Oh crap...!"

"Let me try mine!" Tomo shouted as she outstretched her right index finger. "Gastromorph!" she announced as the yellow stream of light hit Mustarl dead on. Mustarl was enveloped by the light, but with a shrug, it broke free unharmed. Tomo was shocked, "What...? But I know my own spell... Why did it fail?"

Gosh dropped his rapier and his sister dropped to her knees. "That's it, we're done..." Gosh said hopelessly.

Mustarl and Ralsh raised their arms in preparation for an attack. Their metal joints making grinding noises as they did so. Before Ralsh threw a slap at Ty's head, he closed his eyes in an attempt to 'lessen' the impact.

*Later, Aboard Viper's Ship*

Ty awoke groggy and bruised in a dark damp cell deep in the bowls of Viper's massive ship. He quickly remembered the pummeling Ralsh gave him. Only a small lantern lit the cramped space. He lay on a rickety iron framed bed with a putrid mattress. "Ugh, my everything...," he moaned in pain. He quickly searched his person and found his Cloud Key still around his neck, but his daggers were missing. A large figure stood before the portcullis door with its backside facing it. It was another mechanical doll. It was about seven feet tall and had a burly upper body with a bronze finish and had maroon cloth accents. Its head was set into its torso and its long arms nearly reached the ground. Ty approached and tapped the thing through the bars.

It responded with a whir, "GA-PI? GA-PI-PI?" it said.

No matter what Ty did after that point it did not give any other response or even turn around. Ty gave up and sat back down to tired and beaten to do anything else. "I wonder what happened to the others?" he said worriedly.

Tomo awoke in a well kept aristocratic room with beautiful wooden stained furniture with bronzed accents. It was lit dimly with candles and the window let in a cool sea breeze. The dawn had still not come so save for the candle light the room was quite dark. Tomo searched her person and found her things to be placed neatly on a chair not to far from her. The bed was comfy and had maroon colored curtains lining the top of its frame. She noticed her hourglass pendant still around her neck and clutched it with a sigh of relief.

As she took a deep breath she heard the door creak and open. She quickly feigned being asleep. A Dragoon came to her bedside and 'awakened' her. Tomo acted like she had been asleep to throw off suspicion. The Dragoon spoke with order in his voice, "Miss, are you awake?" he asked.

"Yeah, what do you people plan on doing with my dad and my friends?" she asked sternly.

"Come with me and we'll tell you everything," the Dragoon continued. "You must be hungry, we'll stop at the kitchen before moving on."

Tomo's face brightened a little, "Well, I am pretty hungry..."

The Dragoon quickly brought Tomo to the mess hall which was filled with Dragoons, "We have a meal already prepared for you so we don't waste time, please eat your fill," he said not breaking his orderly tone.

Tomo was suspicious as she sat at the large wooden table. There were a few Dragoons quietly eating their meals at the other end of the table. This made the scruffy tomboy feel a little nervous. She felt a little better after sitting down and taking note that no one was paying her any mind. She eyed the Hyper Kabob that was placed in front of her a meal normally for a family. She thought with suspicion, "Why are they giving me this to eat? I hope this isn't like a 'last meal' or something..." she worried.

As she worried she managed to polish off the entire kabob stuffing herself to the 'gills'. This comically caught everyone's attention which caused her to blush fiercely. The Dragoon came to her side, "All finished? Good then let's go," he ordered.

Tomo had no choice but to follow him but decided to attempt to make a little conversation, "Y'know, I've had Hyper Kabobs before, but that one had some weird seasoning on it," she claimed.

"...," he responded.

"Joy... a real chatterbox...," Tomo thought unsettled. "I mean it was 'good', it just had something weird on it...," she stammered.

"...," he responded again.

She decided to stay silent and after a few moments of walking they reached their destination. He seemed to have taken her to a very eerie part of the ship deep inside the hull. This made her feel nervous and tense as she was invited into a room. Upon entering the room the Dragoon stood watch outside. The room was filled with nothing but extra weapons and armor and was lit with small whale oil lanterns. A single wooden chair sat directly in the center of the room. Nervous, Tomo sat down in the chair. She hoped she would not be here long if she did what they wanted. However, unbeknownst to her a dark cloaked figure stood behind her. This figure blended in with all the junk due to the cloak they wore. The person walked up silently and raised their hands over her head.

*Meanwhile*

Viper came to Ty's cell and called to him, "Drayguard, Welcome to my ship, 'The Snake Strike'. I have business with you," he claimed sternly. The mechanical doll now stood to the right of the cell door as Viper stared at him through the portcullis. Viper unlocked the door and opened it, "Come with me, Drayguard," he commanded.

Ty kept quiet as he analyzed Viper. He left the cell, but kept his distance as he followed Viper. Two Dragoons followed Ty to make sure he did not try anything, but kept their distance from him as well. They acted nervously not wanting to get within arms range of him.

After some time and a very brief tour of Viper's war ship, Ty was brought to a suite. The suite was lined with bronzed accented mahogany furniture with a white fluffy bed lined with marooned curtains and girly accessories along with some girly toys placed on a coffee table. Ty was brought to the bedside of a black haired little girl who slept very deeply in the bed.

"What does a sleeping kid have to do with me?" Ty asked puzzled.

"Do you know who this is Drayguard?" Viper asked rhetorically. He responded without allowing Ty the time to guess, "This is my daughter Riddel. She is very ill, stricken with a touch of poison. I fear this poison will eventually take her life if she is not cured soon. You... my studies have shown you and your family are masters of poisons and venoms. I am glad whatever you found underneath those waves drew me to you. This is surely Fate. I need you to cure my little girl," the man said attempting to fight back tears.

"First...," Ty began as he looked over the child. "Promise me you'll let my friends and I go after I finish. Second; I need to know some details. How did she get poisoned, and what kind of poison is it?"

Viper took a deep breath as he remembered the unpleasant incident. "We were on one of the many uncharted islands east of Porre in hopes of establishing our rule there. The natives were Fiends and not the friendly Medinan variety. They were savages who used a lot of occult magic and brandished weapons glazed with poison. Not unlike what you do. During the nighttime hours while we slept some of those Fiends snuck aboard our ship while others entered our campsite. Fearing the worst, I left my Dragoons to deal with the Fiends at the camp while I darted back to the ship. I was just a moment too late though. A Fiend broke into Riddel's cabin and attempted to kidnap her. I managed to kill the Fiend, but not without their weapon cutting into my daughter," he explained solemnly.

Ty sent Viper a cross gaze, "Why did you have Riddel with you in the first place?"

"My daughter hates it when I'm gone for too long and since that was supposed to be a routine scouting trip for land expansion it didn't seem to be too dangerous," Viper explained. "But I was wrong..."

"And now your kid here pays the price...," Ty followed up.

"I don't expect a ruffian like you to understand what its like to be a father!" Viper snipped back. "I simply want you to heal my daughter! I'll pay you anything! What do you want, jewels, gold, or women perhaps?"

Ty sighed heavily, "You don't need to bribe me to get me to help a kid Viper. I'm not made of stone. Only this, just let me and my coworkers go after this is done."

"You have my word as Captain of the Porrean Military, and head of the Viper Clan!" Viper said sternly.

"Good, now I need some things before I can do anything," Ty started. "First; I need to know what type of poison she's inflicted with. So if you have a sample that would be great. Second; I need a place to work."

"Done, one of the weapons, a crude knife was confiscated and there is a medical deck down below. You can work in there," Viper claimed.

"Alright, it's a start. Let's get to it," Ty replied.

*Medical Deck*

Ty was guided to the medical deck where it was nice and clean and it resembled any common doctor's room. Viper showed Ty around, "You can study the toxin in here. If you need anything that will assist in making the cure simply let me or my men know," he explained.

Ty simply nodded as a Dragoon came in and handed him a wrapped up object. Ty grasped the object and unraveled the white cloth. It was the crude fiend knife that was used to poison Riddel. Ty walked over to a lab table and gently placed it down. With that, Viper left Ty alone to work.

An hour passed as Ty ran the sample of poison from the knife and as he did he heard the door open and a figure sat down in a chair near the door. Ty turned his head to his strangely silent intruder. The figure was in a dark cloak, and no features were discernible underneath the hood. Ty became suspicious as the figure did not act hostile or say anything and seemed to simply sit there and monitor his progress. "Can I... help you?" Ty said curiously.

The figure let out a deep low chuckle. This person's laugh indicated they were male, "Hmm? Oh don't mind me, I just wanted to see a poison master's progeny at work is all," he said with interest.

"No offense, sir," Ty began as politely as possible. "But having you sit there and stare at me silently is a little creepy. Its kinda distracting really. I'm not so good at what I do when I feel like I'm performing for an audience..."

"Ah I see," the man replied, seemingly understanding. "I will leave you to your work..., but before I do allow me to ask you a question."

"Sure, what is it?" Ty replied.

"Do you realize you are in a situation where your actions can change the course of history for many decades to come?" the man asked.

Ty blinked with an expression of surprise, "Come again?"

The man chuckled again, "But of course! You've been given the keys to open the doors of Fate young man! Captain Viper has been placed in charge of a surprise attack on the nation of Guardia, but thanks to his daughter's affliction he can't focus. Your ability to remove the poison from Lady Riddel will judge whether or not Captain Viper will be mentally fit enough to go to war. If you fail the lives of both you and your friends are likely at stake, but if you succeed Viper's mind will be clear and his resolve strengthened! Success will bring about a bloody attack on Guardia that will cost many lives, lives that were lost because you helped Lady Riddel. Your nation, Choras, has something to gain from a Porrean Victory as well; your independence."

"Well that doesn't place any pressure on me at all...!" Ty said sarcastically. Ty was stunned, taking in all that had been said to him really placed him on the spotlight, "Well, it seems that no matter what I do, someone is going to die, but my arms can only reach so far… It's not really any of my business who goes to war with who, nor could I stop them either way. Only Lady Riddel and my friends are within my reach and I can save them and myself as long as I can craft this cure. If I do, then the Porreans will get the drop on an unprepared Guardia and lead in a bloody war, most likely with Porre as the victors. I can't do much about that. Regardless of who wins, Choras is guaranteed nothing. We may just switch who rules us as opposed to gaining independence. Nevertheless, my only moral choice now would be to save Lady Riddel and my friends. So that is what I'm gonna do."

The man laughed deeply with a sense of joy, "I'm quite happy you made your decision and fate seems to have laid the path for you. I also heard of a special event the Royal Family is currently preoccupied with, so their minds aren't on war preparations. It must be a very special event to have the attention and priority of so many!"

"Yeah, it's been the latest kick, the Princess is getting married soon…," Ty explained.

"Ah, the Princess's big day! It is surely a big event indeed," said the man. "It would be such a shame for her to receive such woe on her most cherished day. Her alter dashed, her wine spilled upon the ground, mixing with the blood of her dying people, her fine cuisine lapped up by stray animals, her villages burned, and her town square leveled during the festivities. Yes, for it is much misery and woe indeed!"

Ty seemed a little put off at the man's strange remarks, but at the same time was not all that offended by it, "Yeah, that would ruin my day for sure…"

The stranger noticed Ty's discomfort, "Ah, are you offended by what I've said? You seem a tad unsure… Oh, I see it in you, you show some… disdain for the Princess of Guardia, do you not?"

Ty's expression changed to one of shock, "Um, well its not like I outright hate her personally, but yeah, she is… a really big problem… that needs to… go away."

The man seemed intrigued, "Oh ho, tell me of her sins towards you…"

Ty scoffed under his breath, "First of all things, she and her father keep my nation bound to theirs and we have no power or say in the decisions they make. They have higher taxes on Chorasians along with other frivolous charges to prevent us from gathering wealth or passing it on to our descendants. They take our dignity by claiming the legendary Cyrus is a child and 'Hero of Guardia' despite him being from Choras. However, they instantly blame us for the defiling of his grave, so they fix it, glorify themselves, and shame us for something we could not rebuild because our nation is rock bottom pore. They drive my people to work long hours with just enough pay to make our standard of living 'miserable'. Other than that, other small petty laws are placed on us... We've practically begged for our independence but are laughed out of their throne room without a second thought!" Ty explained getting more and more riled up.

"And now you have the power to change that!" said the man strongly. He then rose to his feet and while heading for the door he gazed at Ty, "Good luck, Drayguard!" he said with a chuckle as he left.

Ty sighed heavily as he lifted a flask with a strange yellow fluid in it. His mind was brought back to his work as he realized something about the mixture, "Oh, I know what kind of toxin this is!"

*Later*

Viper became anxious as Ty was able to explain the situation to him, "It's a toxin called 'Mojo'," Ty notified.

"Mojo? What sort of weird toxin is that?" Viper asked confused.

"Mojo is a cocktail style poison made from many differing toxins that work well with each other," Ty began. "The recipe is always different; a little of 'this' and a little of 'that', you know that sorta stuff."

"How can it be cured?" Viper asked hoping for a clean cut answer.

"That's difficult to answer considering its one of the nastiest poisons in the world," Ty started as he crossed his arms. "If I had some Hydra Humour your daughter would be completely cured in as little as a single day. However, considering the Hydra is a critically endangered species that may not be possible to obtain. Another option is that if your daughter's blood type matched mine I could make a blood serum that contained my antibodies. My family's self poisoning technique boosted our immunity as well as living in the poisonous marshes of northern Choras for nearly 400 years. It could give your daughter the edge to survive and kick the toxin out of her body, but it could take a while. The only other option is to keep giving her different panaceas and hope for a result."

Viper didn't like any option he was given. Nevertheless, he pressed on, "Does your blood type match my daughter's?" he asked.

"We can see, but if it doesn't than that option is a loss for us," Ty informed seriously.

Viper excused himself from the room and his Dragoons quickly brought a sample of Riddel's blood in a vial. The Dragoons left Ty to his work and with little effort Ty reached his conclusion.

Viper was called back to the lab, "Well Drayguard?"

Ty gave a glum look, "Nope its no good, no match..."

Viper let down his gaze, losing hope, "Wait, you said you lived in a marsh! Is there any Hydra...!" he said as he was cut off.

"Nope, there are none there. That's why the waters are so dirty and acidic," Ty said coldly.

"Is there anything you can do at all?!" Viper said growing angry.

"Well, we can find another Hydra or search the Black Market for Hydra parts; I would use the second option really," Ty informed. "Poachers know where to find Hydra's and they hunt them for their expensive body parts. Meat, bones, blood all of it has worth."

Viper came to a decision, "Very well Drayguard, we'll set sail for Choras. In the meantime you can stay here in the lab."

"What about Toma's ship?" Ty asked curiously.

"Its being sailed to Porre. It and its contents are being confiscated for the time being," Viper explained. "You'll get it back after Riddel is healed."

Ty sweated as he felt his blood run cold, "If they find the Flame aboard we are so doomed!" he thought. "Alright Viper, the Black Market should have something I can use."

"Good, no more wasting time then, let us be off!" Viper said as he left Ty in the room by himself.

*Three Days Later*

Viper's ship had kept its distance from Choras to make sure no one on the mainland became suspicious and reported their actions to Guardia. Ty was placed on a life boat with Posh and Gosh to assist him. Ty explained the situation to them and Posh was all to eager to help Ty, "So all we have to do is find some Hydra Humour from the Black Market? I will gladly purchase it for you Ty!"

Gosh was grumpy as usual, "You do know how expensive Hydra parts are don't you?!"

"It matters not!" Posh scoffed. "I will gladly throw as much money down as needed to help Ty!"

"Hmph, whatever!" Gosh snubbed.

"This is gonna be a long day...," Ty moaned to himself.

*Choras, Choras City*

Choras City was the country of Choras's main capital city. It was large, but had a feeling of poverty about it. Its infrastructure could use updating and the only structure that stood with majestic beauty was the Hero's Grave Mausoleum that stood at the northernmost end of the city. "So where is this 'Black Market anyway?" Gosh asked irately.

"Underground, we can take those stairs that lead into the sewer system beneath the city," Ty explained as he pointed out a flight of stairs that led underground.

"You know, I do wonder why Tomo is not with us," Posh said curiously.

"It matters not, this sewer is no place for a lady such as her!" Gosh defended as the party entered the sewer down below.

Posh instantly took offense, "So what am I then? Chopped liver?"

The two bickered as Ty simply sighed. The sewer offered something it had not before. Massive Rats, Bugs, and Bats attacked Ty and his group whenever they could. Despite the resistance, Ty was able to make it around the sewer, turn various valves and pull strange switches until he found the secret entrance into the black market.

"I thought we'd never find it!" Posh said relieved.

"Please let us hurry! Do you realize what I stepped in back there?!" Gosh said shivering in disgust.

"That's strange, I've never seen so many monsters in these sewers before. I hope that's not a bad sign...," Ty thought.

The black market underneath Choras was like an underground shopping district. It was lined with kiosk stands and had shady people walking up and down its dimly lit isles. "What a strange place," Posh said unnerved.

"I think you mean, 'disgusting'...," Gosh corrected.

"Well, this is Choras's Den you know," Ty explained. "Just don't wander off alone would you?"

"Not a chance!" Posh said as she cheerfully latched onto Ty's arm. Her brother snubbed the situation.

After a while, Ty came to a shady looking shop that held many strange things. Most of those things were kept in jars or vials. Ty went up to the salesclerk and he seemed to be familiar with Ty, "Hiya, you uh, got any Hydra parts laying around? Like the Humour for instance?"

The shady man scratched his goatee, "A fresh kill came in from the south about a week ago. Scholars are now reporting the creature to now be officially extinct. A lot of it already sold, but I should have some Humour still laying around." He went into the back and fiddled around for a few moments before coming back with a large flask of a yellowish green fluid. "Good news, its our last bottle, fresh from the fridge!" he said with a smile.

"Wonderful, how much is the damage?" Ty asked humorously.

"About 50,000 gold," the clerk said as he placed it on the table.

Ty cringed, "Oh, that stings!" he said. Ty leaned over to Posh, "I hate to ask..."

"Think nothing of it, Mister Drayguard!" Posh said cheerfully as she pulled a special government issued gold note from her wallet.

She handed it to the salesclerk after filling it out, "Wow, you guys mean business! Do you want that gift wrapped?"

"No thanks, that's about it for us!" Gosh said with urgency.

"Alright then! Ty, tell your dad I said hi for me would ya?" the clerk said as he waved them off.

"Right!" Ty said as he and the Lords siblings left the shop. "Now let's get back we don't have time to mess around!" he said as the siblings agreed.

As the party left the sewer they began heading for the docks. During their trek a woman came up to Ty running and panting. She resembled Tomo, but was middle aged and wearing a tight brown corset top with blue sleeves that left her shoulders bare. She also wore skin tight pants of matching color as the sleeves. Finally, she wore brown leather boots and was adorned with gold jewelry. "Ah, there you are, where is my husband, Toma?!"

"Tomo's mom, I wonder if her hind quarters are as good looking as Tomo's..., wait what am I thinking?!" Ty thought humorously. "Uh, well, he's preoccupied at the moment. Why do you need to see him is something wrong?"

"Not in a dangerous sort of sense," she began. "I got a letter from the Guardia Royal family. It seems to be a request."

"A request?" Posh asked curiously.

"Yes, please give this to my husband and tell my daughter I want her to come home soon," she said trying to hide her worry. Oh and Ty, be sure to visit your parents once in a while too, you'll make them worry!" she said turning and walking off.

Ty glanced at her bottom as she strutted off, "Yep, now I see why Toma kept this one!" he thought with a blush of embarrassment. "Don't worry we're almost done! We'll be back soon!" he shouted.

*Viper's Ship, The Snake Strike*

"You got the goods?" Viper asked hopefully.

"Yep, making the cure should be a breeze!" Ty said with a confident smirk.

"Wonderful, you do Porre and myself a great commission lad!" Viper said swelling with joy.

Ty was guided back to the lab where over several hours managed to construct the cure for Riddel. It was administered and her condition improved within a single hour. She awoke, albeit weakly, and asked for a glass of water. Her father gave her the water with loving tears of joy in his eyes.

"There, your daughter should be fully rejuvenated by tomorrow," Ty said with a smile.

"Thank you, as promised you'll get your ship back along with its cargo. It'll be a few days until we reach Porre, but you have my word," Viper said honorably.

"Thank goodness!" Ty thought with relief.

Ty was then led to a small cozy cabin to stay for the duration of the trip. He was finally allowed to let himself relax. He lay on the bed and opened the letter from the Guardia Royal family. It was a very pretty letter as it had decorations made with gold glitter adorning it. The letter read, "Dear Toma XIII, I have a special request of you on behalf of the royal family line of Guardia. Please send your best as it is the single most important time of my life and I want it to be as perfect as possible! You will be rewarded handsomely, Princess Nadia Guardia." he read aloud. Ty chuckled as he placed the letter back in his bag and drifted off to sleep.

*End of Chapter*


	3. Act 1 - Ch3: Reclamation

Chrono Corruption

Act 1: The Frozen Flame

Chapter 3: Reclamation

Ty yawned loudly, and he awoke with a groggy disposition. He sat up in bed and stretched. "Ugh, how boring! This trip to Porre is taking forever!" he moaned. He then thought of something he had been neglecting. "Hmm, y'know I haven't seen Tomo for quite a few days now. I wonder what she's up to? If I'm not a prisoner anymore than neither are the Levines. If that's true then Tomo should have come to annoy me by now. Well then Captain, I guess I'm gonna take a nice private tour of your ship!" he thought.

It was night outside, and the sea was restless with a storm. Ty silently stepped out of his cabin and the tight hallways were lit dimly with whale oil lanterns. The floor was covered with a suave red carpet with copper colored trimmings. Ty smirked as the carpet muffled the sounds of his footsteps. Ty passed many doors and found many sleeping Dragoons. They slept through the rumbling thunder quite well. "No Tomo just yet, I wonder where she is?" he thought curiously. "I think I'll look for her down below. I'll avoid the bridge; I don't want Viper to think I'm up to something," his thoughts continued.

Ty found some stairs to the Lower Deck. He came across the first door and peered through a small rectangular peep hole. Inside were more sleeping Dragoons. There was nothing of interest and the door was locked anyway, so he decided to keep moving. He walked silently to the back of the Lower deck to find a door that led to the Tween Deck. This deck was mostly an empty space, but held varying cargo. Ty searched the cargo curiously and found a strange barrel. He thought he heard a noise inside and gave it a knock. The barrel curiously responded, "No answer, its just a barrel," he heard. Ty repeated this with four more knocks until it responded again, "Whaddaya want, already?! I said I'm just a barrel! Tch..., Fine! Just take this, man! HERE!" said the voice as it tossed out some extra supplies. Ty took them and simply tip-toed away trying not to think about what just happened.

The other side of the Tween Deck revealed a mess hall where the Dragoons ate. However it was closed for the night and very quiet. Ty gave it a quick look around nevertheless. He found some crackers and helped himself to quick bite. After doing so, he thought calmly to himself, "Hmm, no Tomo here in the kitchen, that might be bad...," he worried. Then suddenly, he heard a rattle of a cage. He quickly turned and swallowed the crackers he was munching on. He seen that the noise came from a small cage with a large orange frog inside.

The frog opened its mouth and spoke words, "Out, I want out, ribbit!" it said.

Ty withdrew in surprise, "What the-! It talks!" he said in shock. Ty leaned in to get a closer look and then tapped the cage. "Viper's got some messed up cargo on this ship!"

"My Boss would be very upset if I were eaten!" the frog claimed.

"Um… okay, here you go…," Ty said as he unlocked the cage.

"Thank you, ribbit! I am so outta here" the frog said as it escaped through a hole in the wall.

Ty left the kitchen and by extension the mess hall altogether. He made his way to the Gun Deck below where all the munitions were located. Dragoons littered this deck, some on patrol, and some sleeping on the job. Being the sly fox that he was, he pick pocketed the sleepers and silently avoided patrolling troops. He made sure to quickly leave the Gun Deck and enter the Hold down below.

The Hold was dark and offered little more than storage. Ty searched the storage, finding loot to take with him. Ty chuckled with a thought, "Well, Viper said I could have anything I wanted!"

As Ty finished his looting, he saw a light come from an open door at the end of the Hold. He quietly made his way towards it. It looked inconspicuous, but he approached anyway and peeked through the crack. He expected the Bilge, but he was wrong. This door led to a small room with a single chair at the center and the walls were filled with extra goods and cargo. Ty snuck in and found something on the ground in front of the chair. He knelt down to pick up fleshy seed casings. He inspected them, "Quadffid Seed casings?" he said quietly. "Why would Viper be in possession of these? They look partly chewed up, I wonder if someone spit them out? That would be very bad if someone ingested these.," he finished.

As Ty raised his head he was greeted by the same cloaked figure from before. Trying to ignore the jump scare, Ty clasped the casings in his hands and spoke, "Oh, sorry was this your room?" Ty asked frantically.

The cloaked man responded, "You could say that. Did you get curious or bored maybe?" he chuckled.

"You could say that...," Ty retorted humorously.

"You seem to be looking for someone. Perhaps I can help?" the man asked.

"Where are the Levines? I haven't seen them for a while," Ty asked casually.

"Ah, your boss and his daughter. Toma was placed on his ship and his daughter wanted to be with him. The ship was being sailed to Porre for confiscation. You're getting it back right?" he asked curiously.

"Yeah, that's where we're headed," Ty replied.

"Then I wouldn't worry, you'll meet them as soon as you get to Porre," the cloaked man informed. "Now, you wouldn't want Viper to catch you snooping around. It would be wise to head back to your cabin now."

"Now that you mention it, I am getting a little queasy from the storm," Ty said blinking his eyes hard.

"Not to worry I won't say a thing to Viper about what you were doing, but I have one question I forgot to ask earlier," the man stated.

"What's that?" Ty asked.

"You seem to have a very interesting artifact around your neck as did your friend," he started with keen interest. "Would you mind telling me where you got it from?"

"Oh this?" Ty said pointing out his Cloud Key. "It's... it's a family heirloom, been in the family for generations. I have no idea where it comes from. I found it in a box of stuff my family kept stored away for years."

"Ah I see...," the man said.

"Well then, I'll let myself out," Ty said uneasily. "I'm gonna go back to bed...," he said leaving. The man merely chuckled lowly as a response.

*Later*

Ty sat at his bedside with the Quadffid Seed casings in the palm of his hand. "I should make a quick antidote for these before we reach Porre. I have a bad feeling something bad is coming our way," Ty thought seriously.

*The Nation of Porre*

Viper's ship pulled into the Porrean Harbor and the Dragoons disembarked, hoping for some R&R. Ty was released along with the Lords siblings and they set foot in Porre Harbor. Ty was feeling a tad green from the trip and Posh gently patted his back to help him feel better. Her brother simply snubbed the situation. The weather was gloomy and headed into nighttime. Posh leaned in to Ty, "Shall we retire to the Inn for the evening? A good night's rest will make you feel as good as new Mister Drayguard."

"I suppose, maybe Tomo and her dad are there as well," Ty said with agreement.

Ty and his party stopped at the Inn and approached the clerk, "Hello, how can I help you? If you wish to stay the night, the fee is 100 gold a night," said the clerk.

"Sure that's fine," Ty agreed as he handed over the money. "By the way, have you seen a rather robust looking man and his quirky daughter come in?"

"That is the poorest description ever!" Gosh criticized. "Please excuse him miss, what he means is, did the famous Toma Levine XIII and his wild flower daughter come to stay here?"

The clerk responded, "Oh, the famous Toma? No, I'm sorry. He isn't here tonight, but if he arrives I'll make sure to let you know!"

The party still seemed bummed out as they made their way to the room. Ty landed on the soft bed with a 'thud'. He flipped his boots off with his feet and simply pondered. Posh wandered over, "Not to worry Mister Drayguard, I'm sure they are fine. They are probably eating their fill at the best restaurant in town and will be here shortly. You get your rest for now you still seem a tad pale," she said with concern.

"Toma can do as he pleases he is our boss after all," Gosh said grumpily as his sister turned to him. "Let us simply turn in for the night. We can find Toma and the others in the morning. Porre has always had nicely decorated Inns, so we're in a good room. I'm exhausted from playing prisoner to Viper!" he finished as he removed his shoes and jumped into bed.

"I suppose your right...," agreed Posh as she turned to Ty. She noticed he had already drifted off to sleep. She smiled gently, "Poor thing, he's been through much these past couple of days. Well, its time to sleep, good night Mister Drayguard."

*Later that Night*

Ty snuck from the Inn and outside he went without a peep. As he began to leave the Inn and walk down the street, Posh and Gosh snuck out just in time to catch him. He cringed, "And here I thought you didn't hear me," Ty said glumly.

"We didn't... erm... I was... awake when you rose from your slumber," Posh said, her movements fidgety.

Gosh approached from the other side, "I could not sleep as well, the Levines not returning is one thing, but I fear Porre may find the Frozen Flame aboard our ship. I feel that we should go back to our ship and see if my lovely Tomo and the Flame are present!"

Ty smiled, "Now your talking, let's go!" he said as he trotted off towards the harbor. "Well, I feel better now, now to find Tomo and her dad. Those Quadffid Seeds are giving me a bad feeling. Viper claimed the Levines were on our vessel. I just hope they are alright!"

As the party took an unintentional tour of Porre, they quickly realized how militarized the country's capital was. Soldiers scouted the cobblestone streets looking for miscreants. Even though the peace was kept, a strange feeling of oppression was upon Porre. The party quietly made their way down the roads to reach the Porrean Harbor in hopes of finding a secure way around without being noticed. The moonlight shined brightly over the waters as the party edged closer. Crickets and waves could be heard alongside the murmuring of Gosh, who found what they were doing to be revolting. Gosh stepped in front of Ty, stopping him, "This is degrading! I am a distinguished wealthy gentleman! I cannot lower myself to the level of a common criminal! Posh let us go to the guardsmen. If we explain the situation I'm sure everything will be understood. It is our ship after all!" he said quietly.

Ty stretched his arms behind his head and stared off into the distance with an uncaring expression, "Fine, suits me just as well. Do what you want and while you guys distract the security I'll sneak in and find the others."

Gosh gave Ty a silent but cross glare, "Come sister, we have little time to spare!"

Stuttering, Posh fumbled unable to decide for herself, "B-but…, I…," she said as she stamped her foot down. "Ty, I believe going to the authorities would be best, don't you think?"

Ty sighed as his body went limp. "Alright, we'll try your guys' way first, but if that doesn't work then we do things my way!" he finished with a grin.

"Deal, I will show you how to be a real gentleman!" Gosh said confidently.

Gosh and Posh approached the entrance to the harbor which was guarded by two of the bronzed mechanical dolls that Viper had on his ship.

Ty kept his distance while Gosh cleared his throat, "Ahem, we are Gosh and Posh Lords from the Explorer Corps of Choras! We understand you have a few of our co-workers visiting here that are aboard our vessel. To be frank, we have come to reunite with them and return to Choras!"

"GA-PI-GA-PI-PI!" steamed the mechanical doll as it threw its large arms into the air irately.

Gosh backed off immediately in a frightened manner. "Gah, I'm sorry, no need to be so angry!"

Posh gave her brother a long disdainful gaze as if to call him pathetic while Ty simply grinned slyly. Ty approached Gosh, "See, now will you do things my way?"

Gosh ground his teeth in frustration, but finally relented. "Fine, if it will… allow me to see my wonderful Tomo again… we will do things your… way…," he gulped as he swallowed his pride.

Ty grinned widely, "See that wasn't so bad was it?" he gloated. "Come on, let's go find a good spot to sneak in!"

*Later*

With Ty in the lead, the party trekked through a rocky wooded area that overlooked the eastern side of the harbor. "Hmm, I think this spot is our best bet. I haven't seen anyone move down here since we started looking," Ty deduced as he gazed into the harbor discreetly from behind a tree.

Posh grew nervous, "Er-erm, yes, just as long as we avoid the search lights!" she stammered.

"That is an awfully long walk across that shipyard…," Gosh sighed.

"Nah, the guys working the spotlights don't seem like they're really paying much attention," Ty noticed. "Come on, let's move!"

With that, the siblings followed Ty closely as they dashed quickly and quietly across the shipyard. Luckily, the infiltration went smoothly as they reached their vessel. Each member of the party took cover behind a stack of crates to catch their breath. "Oh, that was rough!" Gosh complained. "I almost tripped over a coil of rope!"

"Try running in elevated heels, I thought I was going to twist my ankle!" Posh followed.

"Will you two quit complaining! You're going to alert the guards!" Ty warned sternly.

As the party regrouped behind the safety of the crates, Ty noticed the plank leading to their ship was unguarded. The party moved like shadows as they boarded the ship. The Main Deck was void of life except for a search light up in the crow's nest. It moved in a figure eight pattern. "Hmm, looks like the coast is clear, this where the real fun begins!" Ty whispered as the party quietly snuck into the ships side door from its Promenade Deck.

The party entered into the Tween Deck and noticed all the extra cargo was violently disturbed. Posh gasped, "Who has done this?!"

"Damn that Viper, he had his men do this I'll bet!" Gosh said in anger.

"Wait, didn't we leave the Flame at the Bridge?" Ty remembered. "If so, then why tear apart our cargo looking for it? This damage implies someone was desperate to find something in particular. If the Flame were it, then their search would have ended at the Bridge."

"Do you think it was hidden by the other co-workers or perhaps Toma himself?" Posh theorized.

"That must be it!" Gosh agreed. "I was told Toma and my Tomo were placed on this ship as they came to Porre. So they had to have hidden it before Viper's men noticed it!"

"Let's make sure, the Bridge is just up ahead," Ty said with caution.

The party ran to the Bridge and noticed it was still missing the windows but was swept up a bit. The Frozen Flame and its container were missing. "It looks like someone did take it!" Posh said with eyes widened.

"Yes, and the damage outside proves that someone is trying to look for it!" Gosh claimed. "We must see if its still here on the ship!"

"That, and the Levines too!" Ty added.

Leaving the Bridge and going through the back of the Tween Deck, they entered the Entertainment Deck. The Entertainment Deck was in shambles. Doors were ajar or just completely ripped from their hinges and the luxuries were all destroyed. "My word..., they destroyed our entertainment room looking for the Flame...!" Posh gasped in shock.

"Shh, quiet!" Ty shushed as he heard a noise. Sure enough, a shadowy figure could be seen at the end of the room, but its identity could not be discerned before it vanished.

"Someone's here with us...," Gosh shivered, his hand on his rapier handle.

"Well, let's introduce ourselves...," Ty said as the party pressed forward.

As the party continued to search the Entertainment Deck, they eventually made their way down below into the Lower Deck, which housed all the cabins of the Explorer Corps employees. They felt as though they were being watched the whole way. Whoever had their eyes on them didn't do a very good job of making sure they weren't noticed. Footsteps could be heard behind them, but the owner vanished as soon as they looked in their direction. Small items could be heard hitting the floor at times, as well as scratching on various surfaces. "Ty, I believe we are being culled into a trap," Gosh said with unease. The party entered into a four way intersection.

"I 'know' we are..., wait, here we go!" Ty said as three figures surrounded the party. They looked identical to each other. They wore white muscle shirts and tan baggy pants held up by a yellow cloth belt

"Biggs, Wedge, Piette, where have you three been and…, what the hell has…, become of you?" Posh said as she realized the strange change that has overcome her co-workers. The three co-workers had gained sickly deep blue skin and red fiery hair and black eyes with blood red irises.

"Quadffid poison, they are afflicted with it!" Ty claimed as he drew his weapon. "Posh, Gosh, cover me for a second, I need to apply the antidote to my daggers!"

"Right!" they responded in unison. However, before Posh and Gosh knew it, Biggs and Wedge leaped on top of them with ferocity. While Posh and Gosh were pinned to the ground by their zombified co-workers, Ty was tackled by Piette and he dropped the jar of antidote and it rolled behind a broken door.

The party struggled against their demonized co-worker's brute strength. "We have to be sure… not to kill them!" Ty said as he shoved Piette off of him. Ty reached behind the door and grabbed his antidote and quickly took a cotton swab and dipped it into the slick oily solution. He then wiped the solution onto the blades of his daggers and managed to place the antidote away before once again being thrown to the ground by Piette.

Posh screamed, "Agh, Ty I could use some assistance, Wedge is touching me in a place I did not permit him too!"

"You heard her you oaf! Help her!" Gosh said angrily as he continued to struggle with Biggs.

"Patience is a virtue!" Ty said calmly, but with growing frustration as he struggled to raise his dagger to Piette's triceps. With luck, Ty overcame Piette's strength as he sunk his dagger's blade into his arm. After a few moments, Piette began to cough as the regular flesh color began returning to him along with eye color and hair color. Ty then threw Piette off him and into the door, causing its complete collapse. Biggs threw Gosh to the ground and he stood angered. His prideful demeanor changed to one of wrath. Ty threw him the cotton swab with the antidote. "Gosh, swipe your rapier with that and give Wedge a non lethal cut! It'll cure him!" he said as he went to help Posh.

Gosh grunted hesitantly, "Fine, as I see no other way…," he said as he caught the cotton swab. He swiped it across the Mithril blade and the dim light of the vault reflected brilliantly off of it. "Please forgive me Biggs, but I have no other choice but to slap you as Sir Cyrus would!" he announced as his muscles tightened and his senses increased. Biggs leaped like a beast towards Gosh and Gosh retaliated with a super fast dash. When the attack connected, Gosh's Mithril Rapier had pierced Biggs's right shoulder. Just like Piette, Biggs began to revert to normal as he clutched his shoulder.

"Agh, Ty help!" shouted a distressed Posh as Wedge used her as a human shield.

"Bad move, Wedge!" Ty claimed strongly as he used a technique of his own. Ty's body surged with power and he moved so fast he appeared behind Wedge as if he came from the shadows. "How do you like my 'Ghostly Strike' technique!" he shouted as he cut Wedge alongside his back. Like his two other peers, Wedge quickly began to revert to normal.

After finally reverting back to their normal selves, Biggs, Wedge and Piette were patched up and they thanked the party greatly while bowing and scraping. Gosh approached them worriedly, "That's enough you three! Now, where is my lovely Tomo?!"

Wedge responded, "She's down in the Hold!"

"We have no idea what they have done to her though, but if it's anything like us, I'm sure it's horrid!" Biggs added fearfully.

"Please, you have to help her!" Piette pleaded.

"Just who exactly did this?" Ty asked curiously. "Was it... a man in a cloak?" he asked in suspicion.

"Yeah, but... how did you guess that?" Biggs said bewildered.

"Just a hunch...," Ty said as the others gave a look of confusion.

"Well anyway, I'm just glad you were able to reverse the effects!" Piette said now calming down.

"Now that you guys are cured, let's go get Tomo," Ty said sternly.

Everyone agreed as the triplets guided them through the rest of the ravaged Lower Deck and finally making it to the staircase that led to the Hold. They faced the door that led into the Hold. This deck stored not only cargo, but the treasures and artifacts the team had found over the course of their journeys. They entered the room. It was the first section and the place was nearly cleaned out. Their was nothing in this room now, but broken crates, a single mysterious blue treasure box with gold accents and an ornate pot.

The party made their way to the chest, curious as they had never seen it before. "I wonder what's inside…, this could be bad," he said to no one in particular. As Ty knelt down to touch the chest a smoke cloud erupted and two entities came forth. The two entities were spiritual beings that possessed treasure chests. One was a large treasure chest with burly striped arms and legs while the other was smaller with very thin lanky arms and legs. There voices spoke in unison, "Heh, heh, heh, we're the Boxer Boys! We want to play a game with you! Make a choice, hit one of us. If you choose right we'll give you a special treasure! Choose wrong and we'll rough you up!"

"What should we do?" Posh asked hoping for an answer.

"What else, we let Drayguard decide!" Gosh began. "I hear you've encountered these monsters numerous times and were always successful."

Ty took a long gaze at both monsters and without warning he kicked over the large one. Posh and Gosh grew anxious as the Big Boxer got to its feet. It dashed up to Ty, and then stopped suddenly. It opened and revealed a small burlap sack that it handed over to him. With that, Ty took the goods and the Boxer Boys vanished into thin air, "Nice job, until next time!" the Boxer Boys said in unison.

"Oh, thank goodness," Posh sighed with relief.

"What did the monster give you?" Gosh asked curiously.

"Looks like some extra equipment, let's see; we have a Power Glove and a pair of Bronze Knee Defenders, nice," Ty said as he stored it safely away.

"Well, even you have to make yourself useful sometimes!" Gosh said haughtily.

"Wonderful work Mister Drayguard! I knew you could do it!" Posh said as she stared on with admiration.

The party regrouped and decided to inspect the ornate pot, wondering why it was left behind. Upon touching it, it too came to life. "Crud, a Potty?!" Ty said as he drew his daggers. Posh and Gosh did the same, but as they did, the monster acted strangely. Two leather bands that acted like arms grabbed Ty's feet and dragged him before the pot. "Whoa, what's it doing?" Ty shouted as he tried to shake the monster's hold. The lid opened and a puff of red smoke revealed a very obese female Genie with tan skin, three striped horns, and long maroon colored hair that was tied back in a long ponytail emerged. Her big belly giggled as did her bust when she made even the slightest movements. Instead of attacking however, she seemed amorous towards Ty. Ty was astonished, "I didn't know Genie came in a female variety!"

The Genie had a deep voice as she blew Ty a kiss, "My, hello there handsome!" she moaned coyly. "Why don't join me inside my Potty here for some real entertainment!"

Ty, ever polite, responded nervously, "Well now…, I'm not offended by larger women! Nevertheless, I am… in the middle of something important!"

"Aw, now, now, don't be that way!" the Genie said with a sultry tone. "I've been alone with Potty here for sooo long and I really could use the company!"

Posh reacted on pure jealousy as she slammed the unaware Genie with her Mithril Rod, causing the monster to become unconscious. Potty drew back its master with comical fright as it vanished back into the spirit realm. Posh scoffed, "You should really be more careful Mister Drayguard. You are more desirable than you realize, even to filth like that Genie!" she ended with a pouting face.

Gosh ran his hand through his hair, "Well now sister, let's not be quick to judge! That Genie was perfect for our friend here!" he said with arrogance.

Biggs, Wedge and Piette comically recoiled from Posh. "She's scarey when she's mad!" Piette said in distress as the other two agreed.

Ty rose to his feet blushing heavily, "Let's just keep going..."

The party proceeded to the water tight door and Ty placed his ear to the large metal door. Female groans could be heard coming from within. Ty drew his daggers and without turning to face them, he spoke to the rest of the party. "Gosh, Posh, take Biggs, Wedge and Piette and get off the ship. I think I'll take it from here…"

They were distressed, "Ty no, you need us to help you!" Posh said sternly.

"Yes, and 'I' shall be the one to rescue my fair Tomo!" Gosh followed.

"Look, Biggs and the others are scuffed up pretty badly and still need to be treated for additional toxins," Ty explained. "Whatever I'll find in there at this point is something only I can handle…, I have the antidote. Return to the Inn and wait for me there. This won't take long, I promise."

"But it is only right for the 'prince' to save his 'princess'!" Gosh continued urgently.

"Look Gosh, if you care about Tomo at all then I don't want you to see her if she has, 'become a monster'," Ty stated. "If she is poisoned by Quadffid Seeds then she may be in worse condition than those three."

Posh was unable to say anything as her brother relented, "Do you think it could be that bad?!" Gosh said as he gritted his teeth. "Fine then, have it your way, come on everyone let's let the bilge rat have his moment in the spotlight!"

As the party left Ty alone, Posh shouted back, "Please be careful Mister Drayguard! Just..., please...," she stammered in worry.

Ty chuckled as they left him alone, "That woman..., I wonder why she's so fixated on me... Oh well, gotta do this!" he said as he opened the water tight door. He found this next section of the Hold to also be completely cleaned out. All the treasures they had gathered were stolen. Ty sighed in disgust as he noticed someone struggling in a chair at the end of the dimly lit Hold. As Ty approached, he was stopped in the middle of the room by a puff of smoke that revealed a familiar yet mysterious person. The cloaked man Ty met on Viper's ship. "Hey, just who are you anyway?" Ty started, quickly growing irritated.

The man smirked underneath his hood, "Not something you need to know boy," he said with an angry tone. "Tell me treasure hunter, you found the fabled 'Frozen Flame' did you not?" he said as he taunted Ty.

"Don't know what your talking about!" Ty responded in defiance.

"Really now?" the man laughed boastfully as he revealed the flame in its dormant state in his hand.

Ty's eyes widened with nervousness, "Hey, give that back!"

"This artifact is far greater than your puny mind could understand!" the man continued. "You could not conceive of its power! Just as the ancients in the time of Antiquity couldn't! I'll tell you what! If you entertain me enough I may give you back your treasures!" he said as he held a strange jingle bell in his other hand.

"That jingle bell..., a Green Tinkler!" Ty said in nervous awe.

The man rung the bell and the person behind him reacted with pain. "Let's see how well you hold up against your fat friend!" he said wickedly.

"Wait what..., fat?" Ty said in confusion.

"You two play nice now!" the man said as he vanished in a puff of smoke.

The person broke through their bindings and was consumed with a dark aura as they began to grow enormously in height and weight. "Tomo…, oh no…, I should not have said she would one day become a monster…," Ty lamented as he recalled his words to her on the Weather Deck. Tomo's body deformed as she grew to around nine feet tall and her body fat kept pouring on like rising bread dough. Her skin turned the same sickly blue color that the others had and the hair and eyes were also the same as the others. When the transformation ended, Tomo was massive. She was almost as wide as she was tall. All the excess body fat made her slow and she took up a lot of room. She was given a new hammer made from solid bronze that she carried easily with one arm. She glared at Ty with a monstrous expression Ty had never seen before. She did not seem to recognize him at all.

The man's voice echoed through the Hold, "Meet 'Hell Tomo'! Be careful now, she'll gobble you up!" he laughed hysterically.

"Damn you!" Ty shouted as he quickly dodged Tomo's hammer strike. Ty dodged hammer swing after hammer swing. Due to all Tomo's access girth, she was ridiculously slow, but very powerful. "I have to be sure not to get hit, getting hit is very bad," he said aloud as he continued to dodge. Tomo then took one really big swing and Ty jumped to her left. Her strike missed and the hammer went through the floor and got stuck in the hull. As she tried to pull the hammer out Ty swung at her massive thighs giving her some superficial cuts that were stricken with the antidote. She managed to pull her hammer out but made a hole in the hull causing a water spout to start flooding the room. "Oh, crud, I'd better end this quick or we'll be at the bottom of the harbor in no time!" Ty said with urgency.

Ty managed to keep this pattern with her for a little while but then began to notice something strange. "Why isn't the antidote working?" he mused as Tomo stomped around while getting a better grip on her hammer. Tomo began to stare Ty down as she tapped her belly with her hammer and then she began to wildly slam her hammer in unpredictable ways as she dashed randomly around the room. Water flew around the room along with her massive movements. Ty worked hard to make sure to avoid her, but her jiggling body made it hard for him to read her movements properly. He then realized something, "That's it, it's her body fat! That's why the antidote isn't working right away her fat is just soaking it all up! I need to give her a heavier dose of it!" he said aloud. This revelation came at a price however, as Tomo was able to catch him off guard and swat him away like a fly. Ty felt the side of the hammer collide with his torso and he spit up blood into the flooding room as he felt some bones in his ribs become bruised.

Tomo laughed heartily as Ty wearily got to his feet, holding his torso. He then took the jar of antidote from his rucksack, "Got to make this count, can't take another hit like that!" he said as he ran towards her. She laid her hammer down and Ty used all his strength to dodge the hammer, climb the hammer and leap up to Tomo. He stood on her chest, "Open wide, it's time for your medicine!" he said sarcastically as he shoved the jar into her open mouth. The entirety of the antidote was swallowed by her gaping maw and Ty was thrown to the ground. Unlike the others the antidote took a while, but it was having an effect. Tomo still tried to attack Ty, albeit wearily as her body began to shrink very slowly.

Tomo then did something that Ty was familiar with. She held out her index finger and her Crystal Hourglass gleamed with light. She then pointed her hand towards Ty. Ty knew what would happen to him if the beam connected, but with his injury he was not capable of going anywhere. Then, Ty shut his eyes as the beam of light enveloped him. However, nothing happened and even Tomo was surprised that nothing came of it.

Ty opened his eyes to find that his body was still intact, he chuckled, "Did you forget Tomo? You said this Gastromorph skill of yours didn't work on people!" he grinned weakly. With that, Tomo transformed again. The form she took though was not the form Ty was expecting. Tomo was back to her original skin color, eye color, hair color and height, but she was still very overweight. Her blubbery body was shaped like a pear. She sat on the ground trying to regain her senses. Ty approached her. "Tomo…, is that really you?"

Like a small child, the plump rosy cheeked woman rubbed her eyes as if waking up from a nap. She then rubbed her tummy and yawned. "What happened, why do I feel so heavy…, I…," she said as she suddenly came to and realized where she was and what became of her. "Ahh, no wait!" she said as she got a good look at her own body. "This…, this was not something you were ever supposed to see Ty!" she said frustrated as she splashed in the water.

"What…, I don't understand?" Ty said puzzled.

"This is…, my normal self…," she began with embarrassment. "This is what I truly look like…, it's the other technique I developed alongside Gastromorph... It's called 'Lipomorph', and I can compress my, 'excess' with it... so to speak... I deserve it for being so gluttonous. So go ahead and laugh if you want...," she said with shame.

"Tomo, I don't want to laugh at you," Ty said weakly. "I don't think I could if I wanted to…,"

Tomo gave Ty a slightly brighter expression, "You mean, you don't think I'm… disgusting?"

"No, why would I think that? I'm just glad you're alright!" he said happily.

"So does that mean I'm still your biggest rival?!" Tomo asked eagerly.

"In more ways than one…," Ty chuckled. "Ah, it hurts to laugh…"

"Hey, you said you wouldn't laugh!" Tomo scolded as she pouted.

"Just playing with you Tomo, um, so how about we get out of this death trap!" Ty suggested with urgency.

"Um, yeah let's do that!" Tomo agreed as she realized the water had already reached their knees.

As they headed towards the door, Tomo stopped and turned to Ty with tears of joy in her eyes, "One more thing, brace yourself, this might hurt a little!" she said as she gave Ty an enormous squishy hug. "Thank you…, for seeing me as I truly am and not thinking little of me!" she finished as Ty weakly returned the hug and suppressed his pain.

She released him, "Oww, my back and ribs…, your welcome Tomo…," Ty said with a cough.

The strange cloak figure appeared again and stopped them before they could reach the door. "I must say, how touching. That was interesting, but there is no longer any need for existence I'm afraid...," he said. "I have a world to conquer, so if you'll excuse me I have important things to do!" he said as he awoke the Frozen Flame. The Hold became engulfed in a spiraling blue light.

"Ty, what's happening?!" Tomo shouted as she covered her head and chest with her arms.

"I don't know, but it can't be good!" Ty responded.

Tomo grabbed Ty in fear as the two felt themselves lifted into the air. Tomo managed to keep hold of Ty as they were enveloped by a spiraling light. They then felt as though they were sucked into some kind of hole and were falling down into a darkness they had never known. The horizon was black and it separated a blue waving 'sky' that mirrored itself on the other side of the black horizon. They drew closer to the black horizon until it consumed them and they fell into a strange place. They fell unconscious in this strange place as they impacted a hard surface. Their they lay, outside of anyone's reach.

*End of Chapter*


	4. Act 1 - Ch4: A Strange Anomaly

Chrono Corruption

Act 1: The Frozen Flame

Chapter 4: A Strange Anomaly

Ty and Tomo awoke an indeterminable place and they were amazed. Their amazement quickly turned to fear, however. "Ty, where in the world are we?" Tomo asked as she sat up from her position.

Ty was a bit overwhelmed, "I... I don't know, but it makes me feel sick and disoriented..."

The place they were in had no logical form. The sky, if one could call it that, was grey, as if they were on some alien world. The storms in the sky were roaring, but there was no wind. They, themselves, were on an impossible structure that reminded one of a bismuth crystal, but it was not as colorful. It was suspended in the void. Other structures also littered the sky of similar design. The place also seemed spiritually iridescent as everything seemed to be a little fuzzy, but bright. Finally, small mysterious orbs flitted about everywhere.

Tomo turned to Ty with a look of fear, "Ty... are we... dead?!"

Ty inspected his person, "I don't think so, if we were I don't think we would have any mortal items on us. See, I still have my clothes and my daggers!"

"What should we do then?" Tomo asked curiously.

"Well, I guess we should just do what we do best, explore," Ty said with a shrug.

"Hmm, not much else we can do I suppose...," Tomo agreed.

With Ty leading, the two began trekking around the rather small structure. Easily, they found a small orb of light perched at the other side. "I wonder what this is?" Ty said as he went to place his finger on it.

"No wait, Ty...!" Tomo yelped as she was cut off by Ty's sudden disappearance. "Wah, no, come back Ty, don't leave me here all alone!" she whined.

"Hey, I'm over here!" shouted Ty from another structure across the abyss.

Tomo turned her head immediately and smiled with relief, "Oh, how did you get over there?"

"Just touch it! It connects to another orb over here!" Ty explained.

Tomo gulped as she touched the orb and before she could even process thought she stood before her rival. "Whoa, it worked!" she said with amazement.

"See, nothin' to it! I think we can get around this way," Ty added. "Let's continue shall we?"

They regrouped and began hopping between structures hoping to find an exit to the strange world they were placed in. They engaged in small talk to keep their minds together. "So Tomo, how exactly did you get so..., um, 'big' anyway?" Ty asked as politely as he could.

"Well, as I said before its just from me abusing the Gastromorph spell I created and..., well I was always sort of a... chubby kid," replied Tomo with embarrassment.

"Huh, I did just meet you face to face around a year ago, so I guess that makes sense that I wouldn't know that," Ty said as they hopped to another structure. "And you said you were able to compress all this excess as well?"

"Yeah, my Lipomorph spell let's me shape my body into a slimmer, more convenient body type," she explained.

"Why not just lose the extra weight?" Ty asked curiously.

"...I never really thought about it because its never inconvenienced me that much. Actually..., its helped me out a few times. I've trained so much with my dad over the years as a young teen that I just got used to it being there," Tomo shrugged.

"I knew about the weight training, hell all you Levines undergo that training, but I didn't know it would be literal 'weight' training for you," Ty joked with a chuckle as they made it to another structure.

"Oh, ha..., ha... make another joke why don't you?" Tomo said sarcastically. "And what about you? Why are you so fast on your feet for such a large person?"

"I exercise...," Ty replied simply.

Tomo grunted, "Ask a stupid question, get a stupid answer... And the whole poison thing? Explain that to me..."

"Gladly," started Ty. "Since the Middle Ages, my first ancestor, named Eston Drayguard, harmed the ecosystem of the bog that I live in. I'm not sure about the details, but he was a master toxicologist. His studies were rumored to have been the cause of the toxic swamp my family, as well as a few others, lived in. Since Eston already had great immunity to toxins due to self poisoning techniques, he passed this on to his children, both in knowledge and in flesh as the swamp grew more toxic over time. As time passed, many families left, but my family adapted along with a few other stubborn ones."

"Huh, I guess your all a bunch of mutants then?" Tomo chuckled as they moved to another platform. "I also heard from my dad about Eston. He was rumored to be, 'King of the Thieves' and he was actually exiled to the Choras Boglands," Tomo continued.

"Mostly true, he was called the 'King of the Thieves', and was a thief," started Ty with a sigh. "But he never called himself that, it was a title others gave him because of the ways he went about collecting all of the treasures he had. He kept all the treasures hidden deep within the Boglands."

"So is that why some people decided to stay behind in the swamp, hoping to find your treasures if the swamp killed you off?" Tomo asked curiously.

"Possibly, I wouldn't put it passed them," Ty chuckled. "I swear I've seen Guardia Soldiers snooping around from time to time."

Tomo's attention was then grabbed by an anomaly, "Um, speaking of 'seeing things', did you just see that chunk of rock just vanish into thin...!" she was cut off as a chunk of rock materialized in front of them.

"Woah...," they said in unison.

They watched the anomaly unfold, trying to understand it. They found that these platforms would phase in and out of wherever they were going at thirty second intervals. "All right Tomo," Ty started as he turned to her. "It looks like we'll have to make a jump for it, so on three!"

"Right!" agreed Tomo as they braced themselves.

"One..., two..., three!" Ty announced as they leaped to the platform. "All right, let's find the next one!"

"Hey look, I think we are headed towards something!" Tomo said as they approached the next platform.

"That's interesting, let's keep moving before this thing vanishes again!" Ty said urgently.

They timed their jumps and after seven more platforms they landed on a far larger structure that was simply made up of cubic blocks. "Wheew, made it!" Tomo said as a small orb of light passed her glance. "Huh?" she gasped as it seemed to dance in front of her. "Hey Ty, look I think its trying to communicate!" she said with a heavy whisper.

Ty took a closer look, "Hmm, cute little fella, but I wonder what its trying to tell us?"

"I think... it wants us to follow it?" Tomo said as the orb urged them to follow suggestively.

And they did so, the orb led them around a corner and flickered as strange creatures appeared. Peeling off the walls and floors like paintings that have come to life, the two dimensional creatures captivated the two explorers. They had two arms and legs and resembled ancient cave drawings that had no real shape or form beyond the erratic.

"Ty... what are these things?" Tomo asked as she drew her hammer.

Ty drew his daggers, "If I had to guess? Total Chaos, is what they are! There's almost no form to these things, how freaky!"

The anomalous entities lunged from their position and attacked. Ty ran his dagger through one, cutting it like common parchment. This seemed to destroy it as it vanished. Tomo crushed one with her hammer and it spewed sparks of light into the atmosphere like throwing a log onto a bonfire. "Nice! These things are easy to destroy!" Tomo said gaining confidence as she crushed another.

"Yeah, they only look weird I guess!" agreed Ty as he sliced another to bits.

With quick footwork and heavy strikes, Ty and Tomo vanquished the strange creatures in no time. After their work was done, the orb signaled them to continue following suggestively. They did so for only a short while, in the meantime they faced several more waves of the 'Total Chaos' anomalies. Finally, they were led to another challenge space and time had for them. Spacious platforms moved, converged with one another, and then vanished only to reappear at their starting positions.

Tomo examined the strangeness before them, "Okay, so it seems we can jump onto and ride one of these platforms to the next one, but we have to be quick to move to the next one before the one we are on vanishes. Should be simple enough, right Ty?" she said as she turned to Ty.

Ty however, already leaped to the first platform. "Come on slowpoke, I think I see something at the end of this sector!"

"What are you doing you moron?!" Tomo cried out as she ran and jumped to the platform as it moved away. She stammered as only half of her feet reached the platform.

"Tomo, no don't fall...!" Ty shouted as he dashed to her.

Tomo fell and Ty could only watch in horror as she plummeted into the abyss below. She screamed as she fell, but then, she vanished in a flash of light, leaving Ty speechless. Ty then heard her scream from above him as she returned to the starting structure unharmed, but dazed. "Oh, thank goodness she isn't...!" Ty was cut off as the moving platform he was on vanished and he fell into the abyss as well. Like Tomo, he vanished for on second, then found Tomo beneath him as he landed on her flabby body. Ty laughed, "Thanks for breaking my fall. You were right about this body of yours helping you out before! Now its helped me out!"

"Ha, ha, just get offa me!" Tomo said with irritation. They quickly separated and got to their feet. "This time, wait and let's go together you bone head!" she scolded.

"Alright, alright, I got ya," Ty said as he scratched the back of his head with embarrassment.

The orb of light guided them both as they jumped to the treacherously moving platforms. After several jumps and perilously close calls, they made it to a large cubic platform with a massive sphere of light. It radiated electricity and flashed visions of a place unknown to them. They were in awe as they approached. "Wow, this is amazing Ty, pinch me and tell me I'm not dreaming all of this!" she said in astonishment.

Ty shrugged as he grabbed a handful of her rear, "How's that?" he asked flatly.

"I said 'pinch', not 'grab', idiot!" she replied angrily as she punched him in the stomach.

Ty keeled over, "...Fair enough...," he moaned.

As Ty recovered, the orb that had been their guide hid itself behind them as something began to appear between the portal and them. "Uh oh, something's happening!" Tomo warned as she drew her hammer.

Ty followed suit, "Look, those anomaly creatures are... coming together! They're forming something new!" he said as they did just that.

The resulting fusion created a massively armed creature that kind of resembled a cactus. "It looks like some sort of Chaotic Mural, or something!" Tomo described.

"Yeah, like it jumped right off a canyon wall or something!" Ty added.

The creature bellowed with what sounded like static as it tried to swipe at them with its large spiked appendage. They managed to narrowly avoid the attack as Ty retaliated with a dagger swipe. The creature followed up its erratic movements with more swipes. Tomo beat its arms away with hammer swings while Ty took swipes with his daggers. The creature then paused as the damaged regenerated. "Oh crud, it can heal itself?!" Tomo pouted.

The energy that moved across its body was fed from a shiny object at its core. "Hold on, I think I see something, maybe I can grab it!" Ty said eyeing the core. Ty's muscles and senses heightened as he dashed like the wind and leaped up to the creature. He reached the core with his hands and drug it out, plundering it. Ty retreated with a bright white stone that resembled a bismuth crystal physically. "Hey, look at this Tomo," he said astonished.

"Its gorgeous...," she replied in awe.

The creature didn't like this one bit as it responded with erratic movements and static gurgles and moans. "What's it doing now?!" Ty said looking on.

"I think it may be... counting down? It sounds kinda like numbers are being announced from it!" Tomo said as she listened more closely.

"So how do we stop it? It might explode or something!" Ty said trying to find a place to take cover.

Tomo then got an idea, "I know, I'll Gastromorph it!" she said strongly.

"What, but it didn't work on Mustarl, how do you know it will on this thing?!" Ty asked nervously.

"Don't worry, I realized what went wrong before," Tomo explained with a grin. "Every time I use this skill on a creature, it was wounded. Mustarl wasn't even scratched when we fought so it could just shrug my spell off! This creature however, is damaged quite badly, so I believe it will work this time!" she said as she pointed her finger to the Chaotic Mural.

"Okay, if it doesn't I'm hiding behind a rock!" Ty said backing up.

Tomo breathed steadily as she shot forth the beam of yellow light into the monster. The energy enveloped the Mural and it began to morph into a foodstuff. The Chaotic Mural vanished with only what looked like a like a small pile of flan. Tomo went up to it, "Flan? So Anomalies become pudding?" she said as she picked it up.

"Your really gonna eat that?" Ty said as he walked up to her.

"Yep, I wonder what it tastes like?" Tomo replied as she tossed it into her mouth. "Oh, its tingly, but it has quite a soft, but mysterious taste!" she finished with a satisfying gulp.

"So I guess we can call it, 'Phenomenal Flan', then, huh?" Ty said with a chuckle.

Tomo then shivered as her body wafted a mysterious light. "Woah, this is so incredible!"

"What the! You just lit up, what's happening?!" Ty shouted as he instinctively backed up.

"Its that creature Ty, I learned a new spell after eating it! I think I just absorbed its spell! That's never happened before!" she said excitedly.

"What, another one?" Ty said sort of glumly as he still did not have even one spell. "Well, that kinda reminds me of an old saying, 'If you eat the flesh of you enemy, you gain its strength'! Or in this case, flan...," he said still a little overwhelmed.

"Chaotic Zone..., that's the feeling I get from this spell, that's what its called!" Tomo said inspired. "I don't think I have the stamina to use this spell now though, it's a doozy. I'll have to train a lot more to use it!" she said happily.

"Hmm, well then, what do we do now?" Ty asked dumbfounded.

Then, the orb of light returned to them and urged them, "I think it wants us to walk into that giant sphere...," Tomo deduced.

"How do you..., oh whatever, let's just do it," Ty said as he approached the sphere. Tomo followed. Ty reached out cautiously as he was understandably hesitant.

Tomo grew tired of waiting, "Come on, anywhere's better than this!" she said as she swiftly pushed him in with herself. Once more, they were enveloped by the bluish atmosphere as they were transported to a place unknown.

*?*

Ty was unable to see or even breath as he felt a soft mass covering him. As he felt around he could tell his arms were free and it was Tomo that was on top of him rather haphazardly. Ty muffled as he wiggled his feet, hoping Tomo would get the message. Tomo quickly realized she was smothering her rival and did a push up, to reveal his face. He breathed heavily in response, "Okay Tomo, now its your turn to get offa me!" he groaned as he struggled for breath.

Tomo chuckled, "Oh sorry, wait, let me make this easier," she said as she chanted. Her body emanated a soft yellow glow as her mass was compressed and her body returned to her fit state. She moved off of Ty who came to his senses. "I'll occasional swap body types to fit a situation or mood. It's much easier to do now that my Crystal Hourglass is all charged up!" she explained as they both rose to their feet.

The two breathed heavily as they took in their surroundings. Small bits of trash paper blew around a solid concrete base that overlooked what seemed to be a large body of water. No other forms of land could be seen. It seemed as though they were at some sort of dock for ships that was held inside a large facility. Ty ran out to the dock and gazed upwards at the facility. He was in shock, "Tomo you have to come see this!" he said with urgency.

Tomo went out to the dock with him, "What, what is it?" she asked as she did the same as her rival. She too became surprised, "Ty its... the facility we seen under the El Nido Sea!" she gasped.

"Yeah, only now it isn't waterlogged!" Ty said with a smile.

Then suddenly, an elderly voice called out to them as an older gentleman approached from another dry dock that was parallel to theirs. The elderly man has pure white hair with matching beard, eyebrows and mustache. He was much shorter than Ty was and wore a lab coat with a maroon vest underneath with blue pants and brown leather shoes. He marveled as he placed a pair of glasses on. He leaned in and examined them both. "Well now, I was wondering if this might happen as our experiments continued…," he said with a slight tone of worry. "Judging by your clothes and rough appearance…, you're from another era in time aren't you? Where are you two from?" he asked seriously.

Ty and Tomo looked at each other and then turned to the gentleman, "We're from Choras..., where are we?" Ty said nervously.

"Not 'where', but more importantly, 'when' you are…," the old man began. "Yes, so, what year did you come from?"

"Um…, 1005 A.D., just 'when' is this?" Tomo asked politely.

The old man took off his glasses and polished them with his lab coat and then placed them back on. "You're in 2400 A.D. the future…, well to you anyway," he responded flatly. "I knew our experiments on time travel would eventually start having repercussions on the fabric of time, especially with the use of the Frozen Flame."

"The Frozen Flame?!" Ty and Tomo shouted in unison.

"Why yes, the Frozen Flame is an artifact of legend! We have it here in Chronopolis as an energy source. We found it here in El Nido just sitting on the bottom of the sea back in 2300 A.D.," explained the elderly gentleman.

"Speaking of energy, do you know what this is?" Ty said as he handed over the shining stone he stole from the Chaotic Mural.

The old man gasped in surprise, "Can it be...? Crystallized Annihilation energy? This I believe may be an Annihilation Fragment!"

The two had no idea what the man was talking about, but decided to just listen. "Anyway, I'm the chief and curator of this research facility, but I'm afraid you'll have to come with me," said the chief. "I have to send you back to where you belong before the Counter-Time Experiment goes underway, which will be within the next 24 hours. I still have to make preparations."

Ty massaged his forehead in confusion. "Counter-Time Experiment, with the Frozen Flame? Just what are you guys doing here? That sounds ridiculously dangerous!"

"Indeed the repercussions of either success or failure could be catastrophic, but I feel at this point it is imperative to push on," the Chief said solemnly. "For now, just follow me, I'll have you put back home, safe and sound!" he said cheering up.

"Wait a minute, we found the Frozen Flame and this facility at the bottom of the sea in our time!" Tomo stated distressfully. "Did something go wrong here?!"

The curator stopped in his tracks with his back facing them. "What did you say?" he asked as he turned back to Tomo. "This facility... you say you found Chronopolis at the bottom of the El Nido Sea?"

"Yeah, we were scuba diving for treasure and we found what we thought was something strange!" Tomo began. "So I told my dad to use the new bathysphere and the both of us rode it down so far deep we could see this facility at the bottom of the ocean!"

The curator paused, thinking heavily, "...And you say the Frozen Flame was inside...?"

"Yeah, we managed to retrieve it but some weirdo ended up stealing it and throwing us into some strange world. Then we moved around a little while in there and came out here...," Ty explained. "To keep it brief..."

The curator gave some thought as he stared off into space for a moment, "Hmm, thank you for the input, with this Annihilation Fragment and a few adjustments, we should be able to alter our calculations, thank you! Now, if you would, please follow me," the curator urged.

With nothing left to say, they both agreed. They left the dry dock via a high tech door and they entered the facility by stairwell. They traversed hallways upon hallways with many doors lining the walls that had differing experiments labeled in red lights above them. Biology, Geology, and Astronomy was just a taste of the subjects studied here. Eventually, they followed the curator to a foyer with a receptionist desk. It was very nice and well kept with leather sofas and an elevator at the center of the large room that was in a transparent glass tube-like structure. The two followed the scientist to the elevator and he swiped a strange card and it made a noise. It came to their level and the doors opened smoothly. The curator walked in without a care a second thought but Ty and Tomo were slightly more reluctant. The doors closed as they both entered. The elevator then smoothly climbed up. The chief turned to them, "Now, forget about everything you saw while you were here. This was all just a strange dream. If you make a fuss about this place when you get back to your era than your peers may deem you mad," he instructed carefully. They agreed in unison.

The elevator stopped and the doors opened. The curator exited as they both followed. They trekked through a small corridor and came to a door. Above it read, 'Restricted'. The curator swiped another card and the door responded by opening. He urged them to continue following him.

The room they entered was small, but orderly. It was also elevated with small sets of stairs that surrounded a strange futuristic device that was the centerpiece of the room. Wires and tubes hung from the ceiling and connected to the 'roof' of the machine. The base was a pad of some sort that was surrounded by electronic screens. All around the room, large screens showed different versions of the World Map throughout history. The curator approached a control panel and then turned to the both of them. "When you're ready, step onto the pad of this machine in the center of the room, this Tele-Pad will send you through an artificial time Gate we call a Rift!" he said as he began punching in equations with the computers keys.

Ty decided to examine at all the maps that lined the room's walls and Tomo followed. The first map they came to was a map of only a single massive continent. The screen in front of Ty read, "65,000,000 B.C. although this date is just an estimate. This is Prehistory; the super continent viewed here we called Gaia. It is believed that this continent is the first landmass that supported life in the history of our world. Further study is needed however."

Astounded, they then approached the next map in line. The world was mostly covered in ice at the poles and frost elsewhere with two more landmasses present. The screen beneath read, "300,000 B.C.; this is also a guessed date in time. The beginning of the end of the Ice Age, the humans survived and hunted for food above in this era in small tribes. This era is believed to be the era in which humanity first discovered and came into contact with the legendary, Frozen Flame."

They continued to the next map. It had much smaller landmasses that were covered in frost. The screen read, "12,000 B.C. not much is known, but this is the supposed era where the ancient magical Kingdom of Zeal was supposed to have reigned. However, no scientific evidence has been found to support this claim. It is a major target of our research."

They continued to the next one. This map was very familiar, but had slight changes to the continents he knew. "1 A.D. This era is the supposed era the Kingdom of Guardia was established and became the leading nation of the world at the time."

They then came to the next one. This map Ty was very familiar with, it was a map of his own era, "Roughly 1000 A.D. This is the era in which the first temporal anomaly is said to have taken place. This was said to have happened at the Guardia Millennial Fair. The great scientist, Lucca Ashtear also lived during this time and her research is a major staple in this facility's guideline, even to this day."

Ty walked to the next map with Tomo still in tow. This map was unfamiliar, but seemed futuristic. An enormous crater was found at the center of a continent. The screen read, "1999 A.D. The infamous date of, 'The Day of Lavos' was said to have occurred here. More study is needed however.

The following two maps were 2300 A.D. and 2400 A.D. They both categorized the facility they were now in and the civilization was very advanced. However, there was one more map that confused them most profoundly. The map was of a dark world that bore nothing but destruction. The screen read, 2300 A.D. This simulated map is the theorized world if the 'Day of Lavos' had come to fruition. It was dreamt up by the original creator of this facility. It is met with much skepticism however."

Ty and Tomo were in future shock, unable to comprehend anything they had just now witnessed. The curator gently urged them to the Tele-pad as they stood there not wanting to freak out. As the curator started the Tele-pad it buzzed and hummed. The atmosphere around the duo began to rapidly change and become 'fuzzy'. In an instant, they were once again sucked into a sphere of blue light.

*Hero's Grave, Choras, 1005 A.D.*

Ty and Tomo appeared from the Rift and landed in a familiar place. "Hey, this is..., the Hero's Grave, the grave of the legendary knight Cyrus!" Tomo realized with a smile.

"Yeah, it seems exactly the same, so I think we're back," Ty assumed as he looked around suspiciously.

"We should really take a look outside to see if we're right though," Tomo stated as a matter of fact.

"Yeah, let's move," Ty agreed as they quickly left the mausoleum.

*Choras City, Choras, 1005 A.D.*

As they made their way outside, they took in the view of their home. They sighed with relief, "It is the same after all," Tomo said first.

"Yeah, we should find your dad though, I want to 'clock out' and go home for a nap," Ty said with a giggle.

"Let's do that," Tomo agreed as she stretched.

*Later, Choras Café, 1005 A.D.*

The Explorer Corps employees were all gathered around having lunch at the Choras Café, their meeting spot. Ty and Tomo arrived and everyone seemed happy and surprised to see them. Posh came running up to Ty and hugged his arm, "Oh, Mister Drayguard, where have you been, its been nearly a week since we left El Nido?" she asked with concern.

Gosh dashed up to Tomo, "Oh Tomo, my sweet, I was worried sick! What kept you? This oaf didn't do anything strange to you did he? If he did I'll clobber him!" he threatened angrily.

"Oh, don't silly Gosh, Ty wouldn't do anything like that!" Tomo said as she waved off Gosh's notion.

Then Tomo's dad, Toma XIII walked up to them, "Either way, where have you two been all this time? We end up coming home from El Nido and you two just up and disappear! I was worried you know? I know you an adult Tomo, but a little info about where your going wouldn't be a bad thing!"

Tomo chuckled, "Sorry dad, we just got a little lost is all," she reassured. "Anyway, not to change the subject so abruptly, but what's everyone doing here?"

"Well, we were getting ready to go find you two!" Biggs said from the crowd.

"Yeah, but now that you're here safe and sound, we can all get going to Guardia and present the find we made in EL Nido!" Wedge said excitedly.

"We shipped all the stuff there for the Guardia Festival. The Princess's wedding is at the end of the month, so we want to please her with our find!" Piette said anxiously.

"The Princess is also asking for someone to help with a special favor, that's where you come in Ty," Toma instructed. "I hate to ask a lunk head like you, but the Princess needs someone, and since I need my daughter to help with the presentation, you're it!"

Ty recalled the letter he got from Tomo's mother originally, but decided to keep it to himself. "Um..., okay then, will do!" Ty said passing off the strangeness.

Everyone then sat down to finish their meals as Ty sat near Biggs, Wedge and Piette. He leaned near to them, "Hey, have you three eaten any..., Quadffid Seeds lately?" he whispered curiously.

The triplets looked at one another with a confused expression, then back to Ty. Biggs spoke, "No, not that we can think of, why do you ask?"

"Um, well I hear they are plentiful this year, and I just wanted to let you all know that you can't eat them as they are toxic," Ty explained with a laugh.

"Gee, thanks Ty, your such a nice guy," Wedge said gratefully.

"Yeah, Toma may be rough around the edges, but he really does like you," Piette informed with a smile.

"Nice, Toma doesn't hate me anymore!" Ty thought happily. "And these guys are all healthy too. It looks like whatever change that curator made at Chronopolis, prevented us from getting arrested by Viper and... finding the Frozen Flame... crud...," he thought as he slammed his head into the table with a sigh. Then, Ty thought of something else that chilled him to the bone, "Hey um, what's happening in Porre right now? Is Captain Viper's daughter okay, I um, heard she got hurt recently?"

Toma chewed on his squid gut pasta and swallowed his bite, "Captain Viper? Where did you hear about his daughter being hurt? No, she's fine last time I heard. Although I keep hearing rumors that Porre may start some kind of rebellion against Guardia soon, but keep that to yourself," he instructed strictly.

Ty sighed with relief as he reached into his rucksack and looked at the cure he made from the Hydra Humor. "I guess Viper never brought Riddel on that mission this time..., thank goodness," he said quietly to himself.

"Alright everyone, once we're done here we're heading back to the docks and headed over to Guardia! Maybe this time, if we please the Princess enough, she'll grant Choras our independence!" Toma said as he rose from his seat, his meal finished. Everyone cheered having high hopes for what was to come.

Ty and Tomo snuck off to talk for a moment, "Hey, it looks like the whole thing between us and Viper never happened!" Ty informed.

"What, then that means, we never found the Frozen Flame!" Tomo said in despair. "No, I was still hoping that's what we were unveiling!"

"So that begs the new question, what the hell did we find?!" Ty asked curiously.

"I have no idea!" Tomo said completely stumped. "Not only that, but did you hear what my dad said earlier? We just 'up and vanished'? What the heck is with that?! Did we replace other versions of ourselves?"

"From what I get, if there are other versions of us, then they vanished in this time line at the same time that creep in the cloak threw us into that temporal anomaly!" Ty deduced.

"So what, did we replace them? Merge with them? Were we somehow superior to our counterparts?" Tomo asked gong wild with many questions.

"Those are all good questions, but wait, didn't that curator's thingamajig say something about someone living in our era that knew things about this time stuff?" Ty remembered with a gasp.

"You mean Lucca Ashtear?" Tomo asked with an eyebrow raised. "Yeah, my dad's told me about her. She supposed to be really brilliant or something."

"Maybe we should swing by and talk to her while we're in town," Ty suggested as he crossed his arms.

"That may be a good idea," Tomo agreed with a nod.

Posh came up to them after noticing their private talk, "What is this? I hope you two aren't talking romance!" she said pulling Ty away slightly. "You may talk to me anytime you wish Ty! Come, let us go talk about our find shall we?" she said sweetly.

Before Tomo could react, Gosh appeared as well and pulled her away, "If something is bothering you Tomo my sweet then you know you can always talk to me about it! Drayguard wouldn't know how to handle your troubles!"

"If you only knew Gosh...," Tomo thought with a weak smile. "Cause right now, Ty is the only man on this planet I can talk to about what just happened to us."

*End of Act 1*


	5. Act 2 - Ch5: Where Fates Intertwine

Chrono Corruption

Act 2: The Fall of Guardia

Chapter 5: Where Fates Intertwine

*Guardia Castle, Kingdom of Guardia, 1005 A.D.*

"Crono, Crono are you awake?!" called the voice of a woman. A young man turned over in his bed and covered his head with the blankets not wanting to get up. "Crono, now you get out of that bed dear!" called the woman as she ripped the blankets from the young man. The woman was middle aged and the young man's mother. She had dark blonde hair that was tied in a loose ponytail, blue eyes, and she was dressed in an orange dress with a white apron and blue house shoes.

The young man, Crono, quietly stirred and rose from his bed. Crono has fiery red spiky hair that is a complete mess, green eyes, is of average height and has a fit and muscular build. Crono blinked his eyes as he took in the surroundings of his messy room and his mother who seemed slightly miffed. "Get yourself dressed dear, Princess Nadia wanted to see you at the Guardia Festival today!" she informed sweetly. "It's hard to believe the Millennial Fair was already five years ago…, where does the time go?" she mused as she opened the regal curtains. As Crono's mother headed out, she remembered something, "Oh yes, I nearly forgot, I wanted us to go to your father's grave today and pay our respects before you went to the festival," she finished with a solemn expression.

Crono stared into space as he gazed out the window, "My dad huh, I wish I could remember more of him…"

Crono left his room fully dressed in his new regal light blue tunic with brown trimmings, a white long sleeved undershirt with brown leather wristbands, tan pants held up by a black belt, green socks and brown leather boots along with a white cape and gold headband with decorative wings on the sides. His mother had a sun hat with a pink ribbon on it and she had a sack lunch with her. "Ready to go son?" she asked with a smile.

"Sure thing mom," Crono said also smiling.

*Guardia Royal Cemetery, Guardia Castle*

Crono and his mother visited the supposed grave of his late father. Crono gazed at the grave that read, "Here lies Caelus Trigger, a proud defender of Guardia. He leaves behind a wife, Gina Trigger and one son, Crono Trigger."

"Crono, I should have shared this with you several years before, but I couldn't find the nerve," Gina started sadly. "I don't really know what became of your father. He left home one day with a platoon of Guardia's finest. I don't know where they went, but none of them returned…, either way there isn't even a body under this headstone…," she finished with a tear rolling down her cheek.

"Wow…, mom, I… never knew that…," Crono paused. "Mom, I know we never talk about him much, but what was dad like? I mean, before I was born?"

Gina smiled as she wiped her tears, "Well, he was a brave and strong hearted man, but he had quite a wild side though. That wild attitude kept his mouth running and he had a hard time keeping his 'hands to himself' when around other women, until he met me anyway. That mouth of his kept getting him demoted while his actions would only get him promoted again," she giggled as she recalled past events. "But enough about the past, have you decided on what day you and Marle will hold the wedding yet?"

Crono gazed into the sky deep in thought, "I-I'm not sure…, I want to, but I feel like something's holding me back…"

"Now dear, you shouldn't keep a lady waiting, especially a noble Princess!" Gina scolded playfully.

"Yeah, it's just a case of cold feet is all, it's not that I don't love Marle, far from it…, I just…, I need a little more time to think is all…," Crono muttered nervously. "I can't tell mom we've been stalling to fortify the kingdom in case the nation of Porre starts a war or something worse…"

"I'm sorry your father couldn't be here for your wedding Crono he would have loved to see you," Gina said sadly.

Crono gazed into the sky, "Just went missing huh…, I wonder if he's still alive. I mean it's not entirely impossible…"

"Crono, no, I know what you're thinking. Please don't try and look for him, I don't need to lose my only child and be a widow at the same time!" Gina scolded fearfully.

Crono sighed as he smiled at his mother, "Don't worry so much mom…" he said with a light chuckle.

"All right sweetie, I'm going to head home, I guess you'll be off to the festivities from here won't you?" Gina asked sweetly. "I'll see you back at the castle dear!" she finished as she walked off.

As Gina walked off, Crono took one more look at his father's grave, "I wish you could be here dad. I would really like to know where you are…"

"…Crono…," a mysterious whisper echoed.

Crono perked up, "Who said that? Hello?" he asked bewildered as he looked around frantically.

"…Crono…, Crono…," came the whisper again.

Crono followed the whisper deeper into the foggy graveyard. As he walked along the old cobblestone walkways into the oldest part of the cemetery the voice became slightly more audible. "Crono…, Crono…, Crono…" it continued. Finally, Crono caught a faint vision of a man in the fog. The vision was nearly indistinguishable, but had some familiar features. "…Hello…?" Crono whispered curiously. As Crono continued towards the image the fog cleared and the man was nowhere to be found. However, in the shadows placed on a small hill lay a battered and chipped copper soldier's sword that was covered in patina. Crono approached the sword and plucked it from its spot and examined it.

The sword's hilt read, "…Caelus…"

Crono was in awe, "I don't believe it…, its dad's sword…," he said as he found the sword's sheathe on the ground. Crono picked up the battered sheathe and placed the sword in it and strapped it to his belt. "I don't know how, but I gotta tell everyone about this!" he said with a smile and a tear in his eye as he exited the cemetery.

*Leene Square, Kingdom of Guardia*

Crono entered the lively Leene Square and it was rustling and bustling with the annual festivities. Crono gazed around, looking at the rainbow of balloons that filled the air and fireworks that crackled in the streets as small children chased each other playing with their toys. Crono looked around eagerly, wondering which event he should take place in first, until he heard a familiar voice that is. "Crono, there you are my wonderful fiancé!" said the voice of a woman in a regal white dress and elegant long blonde ponytail. The woman's bangs were grown out more slightly with one large bang hanging down to her nose. Her blue eyes sparkled like the ocean as she gazed lovingly at Crono.

"Wow Marle, you're as beautiful as ever!" Crono complimented with a wide grin. "But, why the dress, you usually never wear your regal clothes in public…, is something going on today?" he asked curiously.

Marle sighed, "Yeah, the folks from Choras called the 'Explorer Corps' dug up some artifacts from what they claim is a civilization that dates around 3000 B.C. and they want me there to honor it or whatever," she said unable to remember everything she was told.

Crono thought for a second, "3000 B.C. huh, sounds interesting."

"It sounds really cool, so I waited for you to arrive so we could go see it together!" Marle said as she threw off her dress revealing her athletic build. Underneath her dress was another set of clothes. She was dressed in a white blouse that did not cover her shoulders with red trimmings and very baggy matching pants and brown sandals. Her wrists had gold bangles as did her right upper arm and a gold plate girdle with a chain over her abdomen. "Today's also special because it's the fifth anniversary of when we first met!" she said cheerfully. "And as a gift…, I want to tell you something…, something really special and I believe you'll do a flip when I tell you!"

Crono's eyes lit up, "Really, well then tell me!" he said growing anxious.

"Not yet, let's go to the center of the square first!" Marle chided excitedly.

Marle took Crono's hand and they both dashed to the center of Leene Square where they seen a large bronze bell that was erected in the name of the Princess of Guardia. Marle gazed at the bell as it began to chime, "Ah, where we first met five years ago. Time flies when you don't pay attention to it. I remember it clearly…, I crashed into you on that day and you didn't know I was Princess Nadia. I even asked you to call me Marle cause I was afraid you might not show me around if you knew who I was!" she finished with a giggle.

"Yeah, and what came after…," Crono thought out loud as some of he silently reminisced.

"Well, we should go see that exhibit, I think our buddy, Lucca is already there!" Marle said joyfully. "Come on, it's all the way to the north, y'know, where our adventure first began!"

"W-wait didn't you have something to tell me?!" Crono asked in vain as Marle dragged him off.

Crono and Marle arrived at the north end of Leene's Square to find multiple artifacts that were dug up from an ancient time. A young nerdy woman in her early twenties approached them. "Hey, Crono, Marle how have you been?" she said cheerfully. The woman had shoulder length plum colored hair that was stuffed under a yellow rimmed brown technological helmet with an antenna on the right side, an average build, big goofy glasses that framed her blue eyes, a yellow ascot rolled up and tied around her neck, an orange tunic that she wore over a long sleeve dark green shirt, a pair of black spats, a brown belt with a gun holster and blue bag that lay at her side as it hung over her right shoulder, green socks and brown leather boots.

"I've been great!' Crono said with a smile. "But wow, you never change Lucca!" he finished as he took a jab at her appearance.

"Me too!" Marle followed as she hugged Crono's arm.

Lucca adjusted her glasses, "You two seem awfully chummy today…," she said ignoring Crono's last statement.

"Well, we are going to be married soon after all!" Marle claimed confidently. "Hey, why don't we look at the artifacts?" she suggested enthusiastically.

"Good idea!" Lucca agreed happily.

Crono and the ladies took a good look at all the artifacts presented before them. One was a marble sculpture of a woman with no arms and exposed chest, but it was too worn down with time to really need censoring. Another was a chunk of a carefully crafted marble pillar; minor artifacts were clay pots, urns and stone tablets. The main attraction however was a golden sarcophagus that supposedly held a mummy.

"Wow, I've never seen this before!" Crono said as he pointed to the sarcophagus. "What is this thing?"

Lucca explained as a few people tried to open it without damaging it, "It's called a 'sarcophagus' Crono, and it's like a coffin, but for ancient royalty. The dead underwent a process called 'mummification'. They would take out all your organs and stuff them in jars and the most amazing part was how they removed your brains. They would take a hot poker and ram it up your nose. Then they would wiggle it all around and jerk it all out at once!"

Crono held his nose with a painful expression as Marle cringed, "That sounds like it would hurt!" Crono said nervously.

"Crono, remind me never to put myself down for mummification, all right?" Marle begged.

"Well, you'd already be dead when they perform mummification, so it's not like you'd feel anything," Lucca explained further. Just then, the workers popped open the sarcophagus and its air tight seal unleashed a dust cloud. As the door popped, a rather juicy mummy emerged. Marle and Crono embraced each other in horror as Lucca was stunned, "Wow, this mummy is still…, decomposing…, how about that!" she said with a laugh.

Upon further inspection by the workers, revealed the sarcophagus was lined with spikes like an iron maiden. One of the workers stated, "Wow, this person must have done something really nasty to be put in here!"

"We have Tomo Levine and her buddies to thank for this find!" another worker said.

"Yeah, I heard she beat her rival, Ty Drayguard, to it!" another worker began. "Heh, it seems the Toma family still has it over the Drayguard family!"

Lucca approached, "Excuse me, could you tell me where this was found?"

"Heh, leave it all to the Toma clan and their exploring skills, that daughter of his found this stuff under the EL Nido Sea in the middle of the ocean while scuba diving!" the worker began. "There were pyramids and strange buildings under the water there, her accounts were incredible! Some say she found an ancient lost city that sank under the ocean!"

Lucca adjusted her glasses, "Fascinating, it's good to know Toma's descendants are still at it!" Lucca said to herself.

Crono faced Marle, "What was it you wanted to say to me earlier?"

"Oh sorry Crono, I have a one track mind!" Marle giggled. "I guess I got so caught up reminiscing that I forgot to tell you!"

"…," Crono sighed as he smiled.

"Well, I talked to your mother not to long ago about your father and… I researched some stuff about him in the Guardian archives," Marle began, knowing she may be on a touchy subject.

Crono's interested peaked, "Well…, what did you find?"

Lucca also became interested, "Wow, I don't know anything about Crono's dad, do tell!"

"Well, he was never reported to be dead, he just never came back so I researched where he went and why," Marle continued. "He went to that El Nido place that these fellas just mentioned. The Viper Clan discovered the sea in 920 A.D. and they say strange things happen there, supernatural even and they posed to stay away from it, but we got too curious and sent a small platoon in to check it out many years ago. You know the rest after that…"

"Wow…, mom never said anything about a mysterious sea…" Crono said staring out into space.

"No, she wouldn't have known, it was kept quiet," Marle claimed ashamed. "I-I'm so sorry Crono."

Crono smiled, "Don't be Marle I'm sure my dad knew the risks…"

"Hmm, the El Nido Sea, huh, never heard of it," Lucca interjected. "Where might this sea be located?"

"The old journals say it's a mysterious plot of sea that's on the equator and lies between Choras and Porre," Marle revealed. "It's the mythical location of many lost civilizations."

Lucca adjusted her glasses, "I would like to study this anomaly some more," she claimed with intrigue. "According to the artifacts we have here, it looks like there was someone there."

"Well, maybe you can because for our anniversary I hired someone from the Explorer Corps to help find clues about Crono's dad!" Marle said happily. "I wanted so badly for Crono to know about his dad. If he's alive we can bring him back too!" she continued with a sense of joy.

Crono's eyes lit up as he embraced Marle, "I love you so much Marle. You would help me find out the fate of my dad just for me?"

"Of course Crono…," Marle said tearing up. "It's our wedding and I only want to do it once so it has to be perfect! Even for you, too! So if he is alive, he'll be coming home!"

"Speaking of which!" Crono began ecstatically. "I paid a visit to my dad's grave earlier and I heard a strange voice that guided me to this!" he said as he showed off his dad's sword.

Lucca and Marle were shocked, "Wow, it's like his spirit is telling you he's okay from afar!" Marle said happily.

"What sort of evidence do you have for that?" Lucca asked skeptically as she adjusted her glasses.

Crono placed the sword back at his side, "Hey Marle, you said you hired someone from the Explorer Corps, who are these people and who did you hire?"

"Oh, the Explorer Corps are a business run by Toma's descendant Toma XIII and his daughter!" Marle explained. "They run around the planet as archeologists, treasure hunters and the like!"

"Cool, sounds like a lot of fun!" Crono said getting excited.

"So who did you hire?" Lucca asked curiously.

"Toma XIII said he would send someone while he was unveiling this discovery to the Guardian people," Marle claimed with a smile. "In the meantime let's party until they arrive!"

"Sounds good to me!" Crono agreed jubilantly.

"Yeah, I need some fresh air every once in awhile!" Lucca followed.

*Manolia Town Ferry Station, Kingdom of Guardia, 3 Days Later*

As the ferry came to a stop, Ty leaped off the boat giggling hysterically, "Yes, I didn't get sea sick this time…, oh wait…, there it is… dammit!" he said as he held his head and feeling faint. He lied down on a nearby crate and began to take deep breaths.

Tomo giggled a little, "We'll be heading to Leene's Square Ty, you can rest here and catch up. Dad needs me with him for now. Oh wait, before I go, here take your Thieve's Tool Kit. Biggs said you forgot it back on the ship," she explained, leaving Ty on his own with his tool kit.

"I owe Biggs a drink later, now that I got my tool kit back, I can make Smoke Bombs and my Poisons again!" Ty said out loud as he stored it away. He then got up and drug his feet into town to find a place to rest for a while and fiddle with his kit.

*Manolia Town, Kingdom of Guardia*

Ty sighed, his strength returning after his sea sickness abated slightly. He gazed at the nice large town that was tucked away in the woods. "Manolia Town, huh? I'm sure it was built around the Manolia Cathedral around 400 years ago. The original cathedral supposedly vanished though and they built a new one to replace it," he thought out loud.

Ty began walking around the quaint town. It seemed to hold no suspicion and generally nothing of interest either. With the exception of one thing however; at the center of town lies the cathedral with an old bell in its steeple. Ty squinted his eyes and gazed hard at the bell, "Hey…, is that… the old Leene's Bell they had replaced at Leene Square? Huh, I would have assumed they would have melted it down or something…!" Ty mumbled as he turned around and bumped into someone. Being as large as he was in comparison, he was not fazed physically by the collision. The other person however, was a nerdy girl with short plum colored hair in an orange tunic that was searching frantically for her glasses. "Oh, geez I-I'm sorry..!" Ty said frantically.

"Ack, I can't find my glasses!" she said rising in anger. "I can't see squat without them! Why did you space out like that?!"

"Err, here let me help you find…!" Ty said as he took a step and felt a crunch under his foot. He looked down nervously as he hoped it was not what he thought. As he moved his foot, a pair of large dorky glasses were crushed into nothing under his foot.

The girl reacted with a shout, "Ahh, you bone head, you just stepped on my glasses with your clodhoppers didn't you?! Don't think your getting away with that Mr. Stompy!"

"No, no, I'll get you a new pair…, hopefully one's that looks less like binoculars…!" he thought coyly to himself.

"You're darn right you are!" she spat back.

"Um, well, I-I'm kinda not used to this place so…," Ty said nervously.

"That's fine, just fine," she said starting to calm down. "I was here to pick up a new pair anyway."

"Oh good, um, where is the store exactly?" Ty said hoping he could find it.

She sighed, "Just follow my directions and you'll be fine! I'm coming with you by the way, so you don't just ditch me here!"

*Several Hours Later*

"My word man!" The girl shouted in a fit of anger. "Do you have any sense of direction at all? You can tour this entire town in under two hours with a good pace!"

Ty was embarrassed, "Sorry, but I tried to tell you, I'm not from here!"

Just then a village woman approached, "Excuse me, but you seem to be lost do you need directions?"

"Uh, directions, yes, could you tell me where the Market is?" Ty asked nervously..

The villager laughed cheerfully, "Why, it's right behind you!"

Ty shot a look to the inconspicuous shop right behind him, then shot his gaze back to his tag along, "Found it!" he said with a cheesy grin. She did not respond vocally, she responded by hitting him over the head with a small hammer. "Another chick with a mallet…, wonderful…!" he thought as he held his head in pain.

Ty and his new friend entered the shop and after some time she accepted her new glasses with Ty's payment making him broke. They were black rimmed glasses with square shaped lenses that were not nearly as large as her previous pair. These were actually stylish and showed an air of maturity of the girl's intellect. The girl placed the glasses on her face and turned to Ty. As she gave her escort a full look over, she calmed down significantly. "Huh, y'know, he's kinda cute…" she thought with a blush. The girl excused herself, "Ahem, thank you for replacing my glasses and…, I apologize for my anger towards you. My name is Lucca Ashtear by the way. It's a pleasure to meet you," she said with a confident smile.

Ty was surprised, "Whoa, you mean…, you're the great scientist of Guardia, 'the' Lucca Ashtear? This is great! I ran into her so easily. Maybe I can open a conversation about time travel."

Lucca laughed haughtily, "Y-you might say something like that! And, what name do you go by?"

"Name's Ty Drayguard, I'm a treasure hunter and as far as I know, I don't have any sort of title, but my family name does carry distrust… sort of...," he thought nervously.

Lucca dropped her ego as she recognized the familiarity with the man's name, "Uh, where have I heard your name…, oh, it's at the tip of my tongue! Drat, well, I'll remember it eventually, but I know I've heard of you somewhere. So you said you weren't from here. Where are you from?"

"I'm from Choras," Ty responded.

"Oh, are you with the Explorer Corps then?" Lucca asked curiously. Then Lucca remembered something, "Oh, the Explorer Corps, that's where I've heard of you from!"

"Yeah, I work for them. I got a little sea sick and they went ahead while I recovered, but I think I feel better now," Ty explained with a blush of embarrassment.

"Sea sick, huh, yeck!" Lucca said with distaste. "Anyway, I'll bet you're headed to Leene Square right? For the presentation, I mean?"

"Actually," Ty started. "My boss Toma wanted me to see the Princess about some special favor or something."

"Oh, well that is fortunate then!" Lucca said with a smile. "She's probably playing around at Leene Square. She loves festivals you know, quite the childish one!" she giggled.

"Childish? The Princess...?" Ty thought with confusion.

"I know her personally, so I can take you to her if you want!" Lucca said with an insisting tone.

"Sure, that would be great!" Ty said gratefully.

"Well then, its settled, let's not keep her majesty waiting!" Lucca said cheerfully.

*On the Way to Leene Square*

Ty and Lucca headed east to Leene Square by way of a very speedy steam car. Ty seemed uncomfortable, wanting to share the temporal experience he had with her, hoping she would not find him crazy. Lucca noticed and began conversation, "So, is this your first time to Guardia?" she asked hoping to make him less nervous.

"Yeah, actually, I live in the Choras Boglands in the northern parts of Choras so I'm a bit of a country bumpkin," Ty chuckled as he settled down.

"Ah, so what kind of work do you do for the Explorer Corps?" Lucca asked curiously.

"Mostly archeology and toxicology, I come from a long line of talented toxicologists," Ty claimed with a smile.

"Really, now that's a field even I don't know," Lucca said with surprise. "I study machinery mostly. I got into theoretical physics and other complex subjects about five years ago. It's some pretty complex stuff. I'm still an amateur at it though, but I am a fast learner!" she boasted comically.

"That's great, people like us, we don't have all the time in the world do we?" Ty said as scratched his nose.

"No kidding!" Lucca said with a laugh.

Ty and Lucca continued their pleasant small talk as though they had been friends for a long time that had been separated from each other. Lucca respected Ty for his biological knowledge and he was fascinated by her knowledge of machines.

*Truce Village, Kingdom of Guardia*

Lucca and Ty arrived at the capital town of the Guardian Kingdom. To Ty, the town seemed to be in much better shape than Choras City, but was much smaller. "First stop on our unofficial tour of Guardia, is our capital town, Truce Village!" Lucca said waving a finger in the air.

"Neat, its more well kept than Choras City," Ty said trying to hide his glum tone.

"Choras City was a Guardian investment that kinda went 'south', both figuratively and literally," Lucca explained. "We wanted to make it our largest known city that was under our control, but it expanded too quickly and we couldn't keep up with the costs."

"Yeah, I'm aware, heh," Ty responded flatly.

"Anyway, north of here is Leene Square, but I think you kinda guessed that since most people are already headed there," Lucca pointed out. "And don't worry about Choras City, I have a feeling it'll get real prosperous soon!" she encouraged.

"I sure hope so!" Ty said cheering up.

*Leene Square, Kingdom of Guardia*

Ty took in the festive air of Leene Square and it hyped him up. "Wow, I've never been to the Guardian Festival before! What is it for exactly?" Ty asked curiously.

Lucca adjusted her glasses with one hand, "Ah, the Guardian Festival is an annual event we hold to commemorate the founding of our kingdom. Five years ago was the special 1000 year anniversary! We had a blast..., literally... um, I mean it was a great gig!" Lucca muttered.

"I remember hearing about the anniversary, but I never went, as much as I was interested...," Ty said glumly.

"Oh, what kept you from coming?" Lucca asked curiously.

"...Nothing much, I was just... really busy is all," Ty said vaguely with a sigh.

"Say, since this is your first one..., do you... want to accompany me for a while?" Lucca said with a slight blush and a smile. "I can show you around... until we find my friends that is."

Ty grinned with joy and his face beamed, "Sure, I would enjoy that!"

"Great, first follow me, I'll get you a Silver Point Card!" Lucca said as she ran off while Ty followed.

They approached an elderly gentleman near a fountain, "Would you youngsters like a Silver Point Card? You'll need one if you want to collect Silver Points to get prizes!" he asked enthusiastically.

"What are Silver Points?" Ty asked curiously.

"I'm glad you asked young man!" the gentleman began. "Silver Points are a type of currency found and used only here at the Guardian Festival! The card allows you to claim the Silver Points, or tokens, that are handed out after playing games here at the festival. If you get enough you can get prizes from vendors that are littered around the Square!"

"Neat! Sounds like fun!" Ty said joyfully.

"I'll only be taking one since I have mine already!" Lucca informed.

The gentleman took out a card and handed it to her, who in turn, handed it to Ty. "Let's go have some fun before we find the princess!" Ty suggested.

"Yahoo!" Lucca cheered while throwing her fist into the air. "You're never too old for a festival!"

Lucca escorted Ty around the festivities until they came to a High Striker game, "Hey, I know this game! You hit the platform with the hammer as hard as you can and the weight is supposed to reach the bell... well, as far as you can hit it anyway," Ty said.

"Want to test your strength?" Lucca said with a daring tone.

"Sure, why not?" Ty said cheerfully as he approached the man in charge. "Although, I think Tomo would be more suited to this type of game..."

"Hey there, want to give it go?" said the man. "You'll get Silver Points depending on weather or not you hit the bell! You get a Silver Point for trying and ten for hitting the bell! Give it a go for just five gold?"

Ty forked over the money and took the large wooden hammer. "Here goes nothin'!" he said as he raised the hammer. With a powerful swing Ty brought the hammer down and... missed. "Whoops, it's a little awkward... let's give that another go," he said nervously as he stumbled.

"That's another five sonny!" the peddler claimed.

"What, that counted?!" Ty said with shock.

"I said five gold per swing, you swung, so if you want to swing again you have to pay for another!" continued the peddler.

"Rats!" Ty cursed as he handed over the money. Ty turned discreetly to Lucca who couldn't keep herself from laughing.

"What a shameful display that was...," Ty thought as he raised the hammer again. This time he brought it down and hit the mark. The weight flew up high and tapped the bell with a satisfying ring. "...Heh, child's play after all...," he thought.

Lucca clapped as the man gave him eleven Silver Point Tokens. "Great job, you beat the game, ha, ha, ha!" Lucca laughed heartily.

"Sheesh, good thing I hit it the second time!" Ty thought with a bright red flush on his cheeks.

They continued on through the Square and reached a race between four competitors that were dressed in mascot costumes. One was a comically stitched Yakra monster that was yellow in color with blue buttons for eyes. It's mole shaped body was well done as were its horns, claws and fangs. "Yakra, a rare monster, its probably hot as hell in that costume. How's he supposed to run in that anyway?" Ty thought. Another person simply wore a completely black suit that had 'bones' imprinted on it to make it seem like he was a skeleton. He had a pair of skeletal 'wings' and a cyclopean skull helmet he wore on his head. "That guy has a pair of wings on his back... I hope they don't get caught on anything while he runs," Ty's thoughts continued. A third racer was another very muscular person dressed as a tan bipedal triceratops with a mask to match his outfit. "I think I dug up some fossils that remind me of that type of dinosaur sometime ago," Ty thought deeper. Finally, the fourth contestant was nothing more than a light orange cat. "This should be interesting, a cat that's trained to race people..." Ty's thoughts ended.

The peddler at the booth was taking bets, "Care to take a bet on the race? I heard there was an elderly gentleman that was good at predicting who would win, but I think he might have passed away last year, so it looks like you'll just have to guess for yourself!"

"Care to make a bet Ty?" Lucca asked with a grin.

"Sure, I think I'll bet on the cat," Ty said placing a bet.

"Okay, that's one more bet for Catalack!" announced the peddler. "Take your places, get ready, get set, and GO!"

Surprisingly, all racers had absolutely no trouble running smoothly in their costumes. They ran around the outskirts of the Square and back again through an obstacle course. All this and these racers weren't even hindered by their funny costumes. Catalack however, got distracted by an old man carrying his lunch that was contained in a small box that was wrapped in a pink kerchief. Catalack pounced him which disqualified him and the old man could be heard complaining and calling out for help as Catalack ran off with his lunch. "Heh, I guess he was pretty hungry. Oh well, shall we move onto something else?" Ty asked, still in a good mood.

"Sure, but that would have been a nice twenty Silver Points if you would have won," Lucca informed. "Meh, anyway let me show you something I made!"

"Alrighty then," Ty said with a chuckle.

Ty followed Lucca to the far side of the fair where there was a working humanoid robot. The robot was built like a wrestler and had a red and silver color scheme. "Ty, meet 'Gato' the world's first fully functional humanoid robot!" Lucca said proudly.

Ty was taken with the mechanical puppet's display, "Wow, this guy's incredible, but I don't think he could stack up to the robots that Captain Viper has..."

Lucca approached him with a surprised expression, "I'm sorry, what did you say...?!"

"Erm, what? Porre seems to have some mechanical dolls like this, although they aren't as cute looking as Gato here is," Ty said as he chuckled at the robot while it was flexing. "So what does this guy do?"

Lucca was in shock at what Ty had just told her, "That..., that shouldn't be possible..., not yet anyway...," she murmured. "Huh, oh, Gato is here for some arm wrestling this year. Some of his metal joints aren't doing well and I have yet to getting around to tuning him up. If you beat him you'll get fifteen Silver Points. So go ahead if you like, I gotta think for a moment..."

"Yeah, alright, I'll wrestle your robot!" Ty said confidently as he sat down at the table in front of Gato. Gato was hooked up to some large machine behind him that provided him with power.

"They call me Gato, I have metal joints, beat me up and earn 15 Silver Points!" rhymed the machine with a whimsical song. The machine placed its arm on the table and locked hands with Ty's. "Ready, set, go!" Gato whirred.

Ty had great difficulty even moving Gato's arm an inch. As Ty struggled, unbeknownst to him, Gato's lack of maintenance began to show itself through Gato's shoulder joint. Just as Gato was slowly making his way to victory, his shoulder snapped and all the strength Ty was putting forth brought the arm clean off so hard Ty hit his fingertips on the table. "Yeeeooow!" Ty screeched as he danced around, holding his sore fingers.

"I lost, you won, here's 15 points, now wasn't that fun!" Gato congratulated without batting an eye. Ty picked the fifteen tokens up from the dispenser next to the table. "Lucca, I have seemed to have suffered damage, so arm wrestling is closed until further notice! However, Rock-Paper-Scissors is still available!" Gato whirred with a monotone voice.

This brought Lucca out of her deep thoughts and back to reality, "Huh, oh, good gosh Ty, what did you do?!" she asked in surprise.

"Sorry, its arm broke off! I didn't mean to!" Ty apologized frantically.

"That's okay, I can always repair Gato later! Here let's finish our time together and I'll drop you off with the Princess!" Lucca said reassuringly. "Why don't we see what kinds of prizes we can get?"

"She seems a tad unsettled..., I hope I didn't make her mad again...," Ty thought quietly.

They returned to the center of the Square and next to the fountain a small wooden kiosk stood tucked into a corner. It was run by two monsters; the first was a large blue ovular creature with a tuft of green hair and stringy limbs stood behind with an empty expression on its face. The second was a small bipedal sheep-like monster with white wool and cat-like ears and whiskers. Curious as to what a couple of monsters were doing here they decided to check it out. "Hey there, this is the 'Nuumamonja: Across Space and Time' thrift store!" announced the small sheep-like creature. "I'm a Kilwala named Mamo, and this lazy doofus..., just call him what he is, a Nu," introduced Mamo. "We sell things of the utmost rarity! If you've lost something near and dear to you, it just somehow falls into our hands! We also have a hold of items that seem like they're from another world completely! Would you like to take a look?" asked Mamo.

Ty chuckled a little, but decided to humor them, "Alright, what do you guys have?"

"We only have five items for sale right now if you have enough Silver Points!" Mamo informed. "First, we have a wonderful sword called 'The Ultima Weapon', doesn't that sound powerful? Second, we have a crossbow called 'Odin's Bow'! Cool, huh? Third, comes a gun called the 'Death Penalty'! Sounds sinister doesn't it?! Forth, is a dagger set called the 'Poison Moth Knives'. They are as beautiful as they are deadly! And lastly, we have a great hammer called 'Mjolner'! It's said it can split mountains!"

Lucca and Ty were speechless at the very powerful weapons these two creatures had in their possession. The two monsters even proved they were authentic and not fakes. However, they wanted no less than 5,000 Silver Points for each. They decided to come back to this another time as they didn't have the time to rack up enough Silver Points.

Nadia's Bell then chimed signifying that another hour had passed. "Wow, where does the time go? We should go find the Princess," Lucca suggested.

"Yeah, we can always check for more prizes later. I should really be doing my job now," Ty said growing worried.

"Well then, just follow me to where we heard the bell. I'm sure she and the Prince-to-be are hanging around at that end of the Square!" Lucca said positively.

"You got it!" Ty agreed. With that, the two headed for the northern part of Leene's Square to find the Guardian Princess.

*End of Chapter*


	6. Act 2 - Ch6: Prince VS Pauper!

Chrono Corruption

Act 2: The Fall of Guardia

Chapter 6: Prince Versus Pauper!

*Leene Square, Kingdom of Guardia, 1005 A.D.*

Lucca lead Ty to Nadia's Bell and under that bell stood Crono and Marle admiring its last ring for the hour. "Here she is Ty, I present to you, the Princess of Guardia! As you may know, her name is Princess Nadia, but we just call her Marle! This fine young gentleman here is the soon to be Prince Crono!" informed Lucca.

Marle and Crono turned to see Lucca with her new tag along and Marle's eyes brightened. "Oh, you must be...!" Marle began with anticipation as she laid eyes on Ty. She clasped her hands together with a sickly sweet smile and then quickly pulled Lucca to her side to they could talk in private.

"W-what's going on...?!" Lucca shouted as Marle yanked on her arm.

Marle took her aside to whisper to her quietly, "You sly girl, you! You went and got yourself quite a cutie for a little fun didn't you? I'm so proud of you, Lucca!" she said with a coy smile and a bright red face.

Lucca waved her off as she turned her blushing face away, "Uh, no, he's here to see you. You know, about the Explorer Corps thing? Besides, it would never work anyway, he's a fan made character and I'm a canon character!"

"He's from the Explorer Corps?" Marle said as she was reminded of the special task at hand. She rose and properly met with Ty. "Ahem, anyway, I am Princess Nadia and it is my pleasure to welcome you to my Kingdom, Mister... um, may I ask your name?"

Ty was astounded, "This... is the Princess of Guardia? She's nothing like I was told! She's so... sweet, even a little sickeningly so... Ahem, my name's Ty Drayguard and I work as a Treasure Hunter, Archeologist and Toxicologist for the Explorer Corps," he informed properly.

"That's wonderful, I bet your life is just full of adventure and mystery!" Marle said with a starry eyed expression. "Doesn't that sound exciting Crono?"

Crono took a good look at the man before him, "Wow, he's tall. I wonder if he really would make a good match for Lucca? I don't know..., Marle loves that romantic stuff though. Lucca, not as much, I don't think. He looks decently tough though. I wonder what skeleton's he's hiding in his closet," he thought.

"Crono..., Crono are you listening to what I said?" Marle asked with a childish pout.

The two bickered as Ty tried to figure the princess out, "I don't get this! Isn't she supposed to be a cold hearted tyrannical brat? What changed? So is she nice now or something? Wait, that gives me an idea! If this nice, childish princess is truly kind, that will make getting our independence easier! Okay, just play it nice and easy! Let's listen to what she has to say!" he thought deeply. "Ahem, your Majesty, I'm here about your special request!" he said as he handed over the letter he got from Tomo's mother.

Marle and Crono halted their playful bickering and Marle took the letter properly from him. She had a quizzical expression, "Hmm, that's odd. While this is my handwriting, I don't remember it quite like this. Meh, oh well, who cares!" she said joyfully as she tossed the letter into a nearby trash bin. "Yes, that's right, I want you to help us find someone."

"Find someone? Who?" Ty asked completely dumbfounded.

Crono stepped forward, "My dad..., he went to the El Nido Sea when I was a kid and never came back. We want you to help us find any clues about his disappearance. I may not find him, but I just want to know..., you know before I get married and become Prince. Once that happens I won't be able to go anywhere...," he said glumly.

Lucca kept her thoughts to herself, "Geez Crono, can you be anymore depressing right now? I wonder if running the nation will be too much for him?" she thought with concern.

Ty went pale in the face recalling his strange experience, "T-The El Nido Sea..., you want me to go... back there...?"

Crono and his friends seemed puzzled, "Is something wrong?" asked Marle with genuine concern. "If being alone is what you're worried about, then don't because we're all going with you!"

Ty laughed with unease, "O-Okay, well then, I just need to inform my boss and we can start making preparations... What am I saying, am I really going back there already?!"

"Alright then, let's all go to the castle and get our things ready! I can't wait to study this anomaly!" Lucca said with excitement.

Crono smirked and placed his hand on the hilt of his dad's old sword. "Wait a second, its been a while since I had any actual practice. Five years of relaxing have kind of made me soft. There's a monster fighting ring at the northwest portion of the square. It still has time before it opens. I want to spar with you Ty! I challenge you to a match of swordplay!"

Marle whispered to Crono, "What are you doing? That's hardly fair Crono! You know magic, he doesn't!"

Lucca followed as she huddled up to them, "Yeah, you'll just cream the poor guy!" she whispered.

"Relax, I won't use my magic on him, I just want to see how tough the guy is!" Crono said reassuringly. "It'll be a good work out!"

"I accept your challenge!" Ty said with a grin.

Everyone turned around in unison in surprise. Crono grinned with excitement, "This is gonna be fun!"

*Meanwhile*

"Ty, save me, I have no idea what's going on!" Tomo whined comically in silence. She didn't know any of the artifacts that were on display. She avoided people who wanted an explanation, so she wouldn't have to lie about them. Her dad eventually noticed his daughter's behavior.

Toma approached her with concern, "Sweetie, is something the matter? You haven't spoken to anyone since you got here."

Tomo thought quickly, but decided the truth was the best, "Dad, I don't know what any of this stuff is... I don't want to make some 'intellectual guess' to anyone about where its from or what it once was!"

Toma laughed, "Oh, is that all? There is not need to worry about that! None of us really knows either. We let people speculate for themselves until we have a better idea for ourselves."

Tomo sighed deeply with relief, "Whew, that takes a load off my shoulders! I'll... get back to work then!"

"Good, because I really need your help! You can go as soon as the crowd dies down and we get control," Toma informed.

"Yay, I was hoping I could go get some festival snacks!" Tomo said with joy. "I wonder if Ty's found that princess yet?"

*Back with the Others*

Ty and Crono stood in the ring facing one another. Marle had already told all the workers to take a break for a while and let them use the ring privately for a little while. Lucca sat atop a very tall chair that overlooked the ring. She acted as a referee while Marle stood right by her.

Ty tightened his gloves and tapped the toes of his shoes on the ground to make sure his feet fit properly. "Wait one second, now where did I put those?" Ty said quietly as he looked through his tool kit. "Still owe Biggs that drink!" He thought with a mischievous grin as he reached into it. "Alright, that ought to do it!" he said prepared.

"Good, let's do this!" Crono said as he unsheathed his dad's sword and took his stance.

"Ready, Set, and Gooo!" Lucca announced as she shot an air pistol into the air.

Crono dashed towards Ty and the two clashed, sword versus daggers. "Woah, this guy's speed is incredible!" Ty thought as he tried his hardest to block and parry all of Crono's sword swipes.

"Wow, Crono was right, he really has gone soft after these five years!" Marle said with surprise.

"Indeed, he was much faster back then...," Lucca said as she examined the fight more closely.

"You're pretty fast for such a big guy, Ty!" Crono praised as he broke from the fight, panting.

Ty panted as well, "Well, I don't really believe size is such a determining factor in speed or strength... as for you, I kinda guessed..., and was right..."

"Huh, what do you mean?" Crono asked confused.

"Well, heh, you're a lot shorter than me, so I thought you would be faster...!" Ty said as he was cut off.

"Who are you calling a pipsqueak! I'm not short I'm average size I'll have you know!" Crono said with an almost child-like defensiveness.

"Uh-oh, Ty shouldn't have done that, he pushed the 'short' button...," Lucca stated with a sigh.

Marle simply sighed with a low chuckle as the fight continued. Crono attacked Ty with zeal and all he was able to do was dodge or parry. Any attempt Ty made to retaliate was met with him striking nothing but air. Crono backed off as he was breathing hard from all his exertion. Ty was faring no better as he was pushed back to the edge of the ring, almost wheezing. "Okay, I'm done with this method, time to get sneaky!" Ty thought as he whipped out a smoke bomb.

The smoke bomb bellowed smoke and quickly covered the entire ring. Crono was astounded as to how thick the smoke was. "Wow, that's some smoke bomb!" Marle said backing up a little.

"No joke, he must make them himself!" Lucca deduced. "The smoke just clings to the air, I'm impressed!"

"Well its obvious I can't take you directly, so let's try a different approach," Ty said from the depths of the smoke.

"Oh, so you're 'that' kinda guy, huh?" Crono said as his eyes began darting around looking for his opponent. "So I guess those Goggles you wear actually do something then?"

Ty then suddenly appeared and took a slash at Crono's left arm, leaving a superficial scratch. "Yep, they do!" he said as he vanished again.

"Rats, its gonna be tough to counter this with just physical attacks," Crono thought as he took a defensive stance. "His attack didn't hurt so bad, actually I can't feel it at all right now. Is he just trying to freak me out and get me to surrender?"

Ty appeared again and made another superficial cut on Crono's other arm. Crono tried to counter, but his target vanished into the smoke as soon as he slashed at him. "What is Ty trying to do, Lucca?" Marle asked as she bounced up and down on her feet with excitement.

"Ty changed the battlefield so he could take the upper hand. Smart move, he must have realized that he couldn't beat Crono face to face, so he switched things up," Lucca reasoned with admiration. "Ty's using his brains more than his brawn."

"It won't matter, Crono will still win!" Marle said excitedly.

Crono hacked and slashed, but hit nothing but smoke and what he believed to be his target. "Ah, good the smoke bomb's lifting...!" Crono's thoughts were cut off by the sound of yet another smoke bomb going off.

"Not done yet, huh, you're a pretty determined guy aren't you?" Ty asked rhetorically. "Good, so am I!" he said as he leaped from the smoke to land another superficial wound on Crono. He then disappeared back into the new veil of smoke.

"I'm not getting this, if he wants me to give up with these little cuts, why don't they hurt at all...," Crono thought as his vision began to blur as if he was getting sleepy.

Then Lucca rose in her chair, "Crono, Ty is a toxicologist, he's probably using some kind of poison on you!"

"So that's what's going on!" Crono said fighting to stay awake.

"Ah, so its finally kicked in has it?" Ty said from the protection of his smoke. "When that first smoke bomb went off I used some of the time to dab my daggers with some of my 'Tranquil Toxin'. A sleeping poison. Don't worry, it isn't fatal, its perfect for these non-lethal fights! You probably don't even feel most of those other cuts I landed on you do you? You never responded when I cut you..."

Crono opened his eyes wide with amazement and realized he had more cuts on him than he remembered. "Impressive, he was able to strike me without me sensing his presence at all!" Crono thought impressed.

"That would be the result of my 'Ghostly Strike' technique," Ty explained. "No sign, no warning, no noise, just a quick invisible strike I use with my own speed and cunning. Sometimes, I think it has a little bit of 'magic' put into it! It goes great with my poisons. I lace every poison I make with a special numbing agent so you don't feel the small cuts. Actually, I developed it myself, because... I don't like making people suffer, so if I ever had to put someone down for good I just put them to sleep and let my other poisons do the work."

"You know, here I was thinking you're quite the rogue, but you're actually a really nice guy aren't you?" Crono said with a chuckle. "...But, why did you let me know what your special technique was? I can now beat you, now that I know that!" Crono said with more determination.

"We'll see about that, after all, all I need is to apply this toxin just one more time and you're out!" Ty said confidently.

Crono leaped into the air from his standing point and began to twirl in very fast circles. "Your not the only one with special techniques! I'm blowing your smoke away with my Cyclone technique!"

"The what now...?!" Ty said as Crono came barreling through the smoke in a circular pattern while spinning like a top. Ty tried to parry the attack, but only managed one parry as he was thrown out of the way with multiple other light strikes that were landed on his arms and legs. When Crono came to a stop, Ty was kneeling on the ground, his smoke dispersed.

"Heh..., that took care... of that little problem...!" Crono said with heavy breathing.

"Woah, that was some attack!" Ty said thoroughly surprised. "Ah well, just one smoke bomb left...," he thought as he tossed out the last smoke bomb.

"What another one?!" Crono shouted in surprise. Ty vanished into the smoke hoping he could get in one last Ghostly Strike. "Come on Crono, think, now where is he?!" he thought as he desperately attempted to use his senses to find Ty. Then Crono felt a tap to his shoulder and he turned around in a hurry and grabbed Ty's jacket. He sheathed his sword, "Gotcha!" Crono smiled as he pointed at Ty with his finger. A bright white energy collected around Crono's finger as he blasted Ty with a powerful Lightning Bolt.

The bolt carried Ty out of the ring and dispersed his smoke. He landed on a table smoldering. "Crono, what the hell! Magic?! Why did you hit him with a Lighting Bolt spell?!" Marle shrieked in anger.

"Sorry, I guess I kinda got carried away...," Crono laughed mischievously.

"My butt, you just didn't want to lose!" Lucca accused.

Then something strange happened. Ty leaned up wearily, his body glowing with a green luminescent wind that surrounded him. His eyes gleamed through his goggles with the same color and he spoke, "Wind Spiral!" he shouted as a massive magical gust of wind barreled across the arena and collided with Crono.

Crono shouted as the gust of wind enveloped him in a tornado that spun him wildly around, leaving small cuts and throwing him around like a rag doll. "Marle, Lucca, stop this crazy thing!" he shouted as it ended with him crashing to the ground.

Marle and Lucca were stunned, "Don't tell me...!" Marle started.

"...That Ty can use Magic?!" Lucca followed.

The green winds around Ty subsided, "...There..., I finally have... a spell... of my own...," said Ty as he passed out.

Crono sat up and held the back of his head, "Ouch, what'd you do that for?! Ya jerk!" he cursed.

"I guess this guy's just full of surprises, huh, Crono?" Marle said as she knelt down beside him and used her own magic. "Don't worry, my Aura technique will fix you right up Crono!" she said as she gleamed with a soft lavender light. Crono's body was enveloped in the warmth and his wounds healed before his eyes.

"Speaking of which, 'why' and 'how' exactly does Ty know magic? I really thought we were the only ones left in this era to use it," Lucca claimed curiously.

Both Crono and Marle came to Lucca, "Yeah, but that spell he used... It wasn't an element we know of," Crono said.

"Well, let's wake him up and ask him!" Marle said as she went over to heal Ty. Performing her Aura technique, Marle bathed Ty's body in a warm lavender light. All of his wounds were healed and he began to stir.

Ty sat up, moved his goggles back to his forehead and massaged his eyes, "Oh, my aching head, what hit me...?" he moaned.

Marle took a good look at Ty and noticed his key, "Hey, that's a really pretty skeleton key you have! May I see it for a second?" she asked politely.

Ty came to, "Uh, sure I suppose," he said still trying to completely wake up. He took the key off and handed it to her.

Lucca began her examination and quickly took notice of what it was made from, "This key... is made from Dreamstone!" she gasped. "And this gemstone that is set into it is... the Sunstone!"

"Wow, its so pretty!" Marle began as she examined it with her.

Lucca handed the Cloud Key back to Ty who was more than proud of it. "Its my finest treasure! It's a family heirloom... and it seems to let me use a type of Magic that... sorta moves the wind around. That Wind Spiral spell..., it just came to me when I got hit by... say what did you hit me with? D-Don't tell me that, you can use magic too?"

"Yeah, we all can," Crono stated reluctantly. "I can use Light magic. Sorry, it was kind of an old reflex..., but I hit you with a Lightning Bolt spell."

"I can use Water magic, but it always manifests itself as Ice," Marle explained. "I can also use healing magic too! That's how I patched you up so fast!"

"...And last, but not least, I can use Fire magic," Lucca followed.

"So I guess that means I can use Wind magic then? Neat," Ty said as he gazed as his right palm. "So how did you guys learn magic, what artifacts do you use?"

Crono and his friends looked rather pale, "Um, well it's a really long story, but we've been around the world a few times, seen lot'sa stuff, met lot'sa people and picked it up along the way," Lucca said vaguely.

"Yeah, but we don't need an artifact though, we can... um, just because..., we were 'taught'," Marle said as she scratched her head.

"We've never met anyone who can use Wind magic or someone who needs an artifact to perform magic, so this is new for us," Crono stated with a wide grin.

"Is it really that rare...?" Ty asked curiously.

"I don't think so, I seem to remember the ancient Kingdom of Zeal and its people saying that some of them use artifacts to perform magic," Lucca said trying hard to remember. "Interesting, I wonder if Wind casters need artifacts to use it."

"My friend Tomo, the daughter of Toma XIII, can use magic that relates to rocks and stuff," Ty informed. "She also uses and artifact."

"You mean like... Earth magic?" Marle asked as her eyes widened.

"Yeah, but she's better than me with hers, she's has a Crystal Hourglass," Ty explained.

"Oh, is that what they are called?" Marle asked curiously.

"Maybe, but that's what we call them," Ty said with a shrug.

"This is a lot to take in, why don't we start getting ready to head out?" Lucca suggested. "We can continue our conversation later over tea while we head to El Nido."

"Let's head out tomorrow for now. Ty won't you have dinner at my castle tonight?" Marle invited with a smile. "Oh, and bring your friend as well, the one that can use Earth magic!"

"Alright, I'll go and tell her!" Ty said as he jumped to his feet. "See you at the castle your Majesty!" he said as he took off.

"Oh and, call me Marle!" Marle whined as she flailed about.

*Later, at Guardia Castle, Marle's Room*

"So Crono, about Ty, how tough did you find him to be?" Lucca asked curiously.

Crono thought hard as he continued walking, "He's got some really good moves! If I'm gonna be king soon then I want to know where all the strong people in the world are. That Ghostly Strike move could have done some serious harm if he were a hired assassin! So now that I know about it I know how to counter it! Which reminds me, I think we should really learn some new tricks. That fight with him proved to me how out of shape I am, so I think we need to learn some new stuff."

"Makes sense," Lucca said as she took out her air pistol and shot it at a shield on the wall. She missed quite a few shots and only hit the center once. "It seems as though my sharpshooting skills have rusted a bit."

"Mine too," Marle claimed. "I tried hitting a training dummy earlier and I missed more than I would have liked. I should practice with the hunters and archers more."

"This is just sad, five lousy years and our hard eared skills are already so tarnished!" Lucca said in dismay.

"Any who," Marle said as she approached Lucca with a coy smile. "So..., what do you think of him Lucca? Quite a looker, huh? Real easy on the eyes!" Marle teased.

Lucca sighed, "...This again, well, I have a lot of respect for him. He's smart and knows his fields of study very well. Besides, you heard what he said... he's got a woman in his life already."

"Oh, I heard what he said alright," Marle started coyly. "He said Tomo was a 'friend' of his. That didn't sound very romantic to me."

"Yes, but I wonder what she feels about him?" Lucca asked rhetorically.

"You're thinking about this too deeply, Lucca, you have nothing to lose by just trying!" Marle said trying to be convincing. "Besides, don't you want someone... 'special' in your life?"

Lucca blushed as she stammered, "...Well its not like... I don't want someone... Its just that well, I'm not some 'milk maid' waiting to be swept off her feet by some dashing young rogue either!"

Marle giggled and Crono chuckled, "I find it funny that you used the word 'rogue', just now," Crono said with a wide grin. "I'm gonna go down to the kitchen to sneak some foodstuffs while you two get ready!" he said as he took off.

Lucca sighed deeper, "Marle let's talk about this later, please?!" she said losing her patience.

"That's fine, but since you're the Royal Scientist, that means you're my underling," Marle started with a mischievous grin. "Your majesty orders you to sit next to him at dinner tonight and establish more of a connection!"

"Ohh, fine...!" Lucca moaned. "...but this won't go anywhere I'm telling you!"

Marle jumped up enthusiastically, "Good, time for a make over! I have the snazziest red gown for you to wear!"

*Royal Dining Hall*

The Royal Dining Hall was filled to the brim with guests who were attending the Guardian Festival. Ty and Tomo were overwhelmed. They each wore appropriate attire. Ty wore a black dress suit, while Tomo wore a burnt orange skirt and white long sleeved button up dress shirt. She complained about a corset under her clothes. She spat in disgust, "Yech, I hate corsets, I can't eat very much while wearing one!"

"Aww, cheer up Tomo, its not so bad, you look great in it!" Ty said with a smile. "You fill out that outfit so well, especially the backside!" he snickered.

"That's another thing about corsets, they make my hips look bigger than they are!" Tomo explained trying hard to find a standing position that was more comfortable.

"No, they just make your waist look slimmer, which makes your other areas stand out more," Ty replied.

"I-I guess you could say that...," Tomo said with a nervous blush. "You don't look half bad either. Your shoulders look nice and broad... ahem!"

"Thanks, every man should always have one of these suits for... just in case things like this pop up!" Ty said confidently. "By the way, I don't see your Crystal Hourglass on you, do you still have it? Don't you need it to keep your 'weight' issue under control?"

Tomo pulled the artifact out of her collar, "Nope its with me, but strangely, I don't need it to change body types. I seem to be able to do that with or without it. Good thing, cause it would really be embarrassing to return to my original body right now! I just need it to cast magic spells!"

"That's good, at least you don't have to worry about a wardrobe malfunction!" Ty said with relief. "Oh, that reminds me, I dueled with the upcoming heir to the throne! I lost, but I learned a magic spell of my own! I call it the 'Wind Spiral' it's a powerful tornado that cuts things apart!" he continued with excitement.

Tomo brightened up, "That's great, see I told you, you would learn one eventually! But wait, you lost to the Prince?"

"Uh, yeah, he was a lot tougher than he looked, especially for a short guy," Ty explained with embarrassment. "Apparently, he, the Princess and the Royal Scientist know how to use magic without an artifact!"

"Wow, so we're not the only ones!" Tomo said intrigued. "Hey, the Royal Scientist, wouldn't happen to be Lucca Ashtear would it? Did you meet her and tell her of our... little trip?" she said quietly.

"Not yet, it's kind of hard to break the ice on that one even if she is a scientist!" Ty said with worry.

Tomo sighed, "She is here tonight, right? You have to tell her... I'm sure she won't wright you off as crazy. Here take this, I thought we might need it!" she said reaching into her pocket. She pulled out a shard of the Annihilation Fragment. "If she's any sort of scientist, this Annihilation Shard should get her interested!"

"Nice, but where did you get it?" Ty asked with surprise.

"Heh, you're not the only one who can snoop through people's pockets, Ty!" Tomo said coyly. "Anyway, I'm gonna head over to the buffet and get some food to eat. Hopefully, this corset won't get in my way... too much," she finished as she walked off.

Ty looked into the Annihilation Shard until he heard a familiar voice come from behind him. "Um, good evening Ty, how are you liking the party?" said Lucca trying to cast off her nervousness.

Ty quickly clasped the shard and faced Lucca with a smile. Her hair was cut even shorter than normal and it framed her face, reaching down to her chin. She was wearing a red tight gown with matching high heels. She also wore long white gloves and gold jewelry. "Great, its lovely, I never thought I'd spend an evening in the company of royalty!" he said calmly.

Lucca had her hands behind her covering her rear, she was physically uncomfortable. "Marle picked out my wardrobe," Lucca started. "I really wish she would have lightened up on the corset underneath though, I can hardly breathe!" she chuckled.

Ty laughed as well, "My friend Tomo was just complaining about the same thing."

"Really? I'm kinda self conscious about it myself," said Lucca. "Along with the corset, the pumps and this gown really show my hips and my chest and I'm not used to that sort of thing. So I hope you don't think I... um..., never mind, what I mean to ask is, what did you think of the Princess? Is she different than you thought?" she asked, changing the subject.

"Definitely, she's... cute and sweet," Ty said as if he were describing a little sister. "I thought she was a cold hearted brat with only selfish desires..."

"What made you think that...?" Lucca asked curiously with a raised eyebrow.

"I guess..., its what everyone else told me..., all the rumors and things," Ty said sounding humbled and a little confused.

"Oh well, try not to worry about that," Lucca said reassuringly. "Marle's a jumpy, childish young woman and she's a tad bit of a crybaby, but she's a really kind person at heart."

"I see..., well I feel bad now for believing all that crap," Ty said embarrassed. "I can't believe I judged the book before I read it. I don't usually make a habit of that, but I guess its kind a easy to do with politicians and other such people in high places."

"...So, did you have an opinion of me, by any chance? Before you met me, I mean," Lucca said sheepishly.

"Well, I never heard of you until recently... that is... until...," Ty said hiding his thoughts.

"Until...?" Lucca blinked curiously.

"Um... well, you're a scientist right?" he asked hesitantly.

"Yeah, of course...," Lucca said with confirmation.

"Now, don't think I'm a nut or anything... even Tomo can vouch for me, but do you know anything about... time travel...?" Ty asked with a cold sweat.

Lucca's eyes widened as she too broke out into a cold sweat. She tried to breath heavily, but couldn't because of her outfit, "Um, I have... looked into such things, why do you ask?"

Ty opened his clenched palm and showed her the Annihilation Shard, "I stole this from a monster in some weird dimension Tomo and I were... 'thrown' into... You know as proof. After we escaped through a portal or something, we ended up in some... futuristic facility. The head of the place threw your name out there and that's how I learned of you. I was hoping you could... explain a few things for us...," he said uneasily.

"Well, first things first, tell me exactly what happened... if you don't mind," Lucca insisted.

"Alright, let's have a seat first...," Ty suggested.

*Meanwhile*

Marle was dressed in her usual lovely white dress with blue trimmings as she overlooked the party with her fiancé, Crono, who was just as nicely dressed as she was. Marle watched with a playful grin as she set eyes on Lucca, who was chatting intently with Ty. "Oh good, they seem to be hitting things off pretty well!" Marle said with interest.

"You've been reading way too many romance novels lately Marle," Crono teased.

"Nah, I just wanna look out for my friend is all," Marle stated as someone caught her eye. "Oh, that must be Tomo Levine! I saw her come in with him. I'm gonna go and chat it up with her!" she said as she trotted off.

Crono caught a clear view of Lucca's face and grew concerned, "She seems more like she's in distress than anything... I hope she'll be alright."

Marle approached Tomo and gave her a look over, "Wow, she's pretty thick! I kinda wish I had muscles like those!" she thought.

Tomo turned to catch Marle's gaze. She reacted in surprise, "Oh, is there something I can help you with your majesty?" she asked politely.

"Your Toma's daughter correct? I would like to chat for a while if that's fine with you?" Marle asked politely.

"Now to see if Ty's right about her!" Tomo thought. "Yeah, no problem!"

Marle and Tomo took a seat and Marle eagerly began conversing, "So, would you mind telling me about your work and your co-workers a little?"

"Well, as you know, I'm the daughter of the world famous explorer Toma Levine XIII and I have a little brother who is XIV!" Tomo began. "We Levines founded the Explorer Corps to unearth the world's mysteries."

"Oh, I love a good adventure, me and my friends went on quite a trip five years ago and it was the most fun I'd had in years!" Marle stated perkily.

"I bet! You probably get pretty frustrated being cooped up in this castle all day long!" Tomo guessed.

"Oh, its terrible sometimes, I just don't know what to do with myself!" Marle continued.

"Me and my rival Ty just got back from EL Nido recently, so that was... interesting...," Tomo said trying to find the right words without sounding suspicious.

"Hmm, so Ty is... your rival then? I thought him to be your boyfriend or something like that...," Marle said with a grin.

Tomo blushed, "Nah, I've only known him for a little while, plus... I think we make better rivals than something like... lovers..."

"Really, why's that?" Marle prodded some more.

"Well, my dad doesn't like him too much considering our families are sort of competitors... I guess," Tomo claimed still blushing.

"Oh, your families are feuding with one another?" Marle asked curiously.

"I wouldn't say feud... its more like they compete for treasure and valuables. The Drayguards have always tried to get to someplace before us so they could get all the goodies, but we've beaten them for the most part," Tomo explained. "They also aren't the most honorable folks around, seeing as how they used to be a family of thieves and pirates."

"I had no idea..., but they aren't thieves anymore, right?" Marle asked clasping her hands.

"Nope, his grandpa put a stop to it and restored the family to a more honorable state," Tomo responded. "They still know the family trade skills, but decide to use them for better purposes."

"That's good, I'm happy to hear of that, by the way...," Marle interjected. "You said you were in El Nido recently? How about you come with us tomorrow and help me find clues as to what happened to my fiance's dad? Ty is already coming along so I think it would be good if we had another, so how about it?"

"Sure, I wouldn't pass up the chance!" Tomo said excitedly.

"Great, my servants will get you anything you need. So please feel free to stay here tonight. We'll head out tomorrow at the break of dawn!" Marle said as she excused herself.

"Wow, Ty was right, the Princess really is a cheerful woman!" Tomo thought as she munched on a shrimp.

*Back with Lucca*

Lucca placed her hands on Ty's arm in a cold sweat, "Quick then, you have to tell me everything you changed! Let's go to the lab real quick so I can take a look at this rock!"

"Um..., okay sure...," Ty said as he was dagged away.

Crono caught Lucca dragging Ty away in a hurry. "Hmm, I wonder what got Lucca all flustered?" he asked no one in particular.

Marle came up to Crono with a grin on her face, "Well, I've concluded that Tomo and Ty are not all lovey dovey so that means Lucca still may have a shot!"

"I think she may be taking that shot right now," Crono said snidely. "She just dragged him off somewhere. Heh, you know what the Nu said back in Zeal, Wind makes Fire dance!"

Marle blushed fiercely, "Lucca wait, your skipping a few steps, you're not supposed to be naughty yet! Oh, I must have made her too pretty!"

"I don't think that's what's going on Marle," Crono said trying to keep her calm. "She had that, 'science' look in her eye, so I think she may be headed to her new lab."

Marle moaned in distress, "Hmm, I don't know..."

*Guardia Lab, Guardia Castle*

The lab was filled to the brim with broken machinery as well as many tools that were laying around. Lucca approached her work bench and placed the Annihilation Shard onto a microscope. She looked into it and after a few moments, became astounded, "This energy..., it's the same as what's manipulated by a Time Egg," she whispered to herself. She turned to Ty, "So as I was saying, what history did you change?" she asked with full belief in his claim.

"I think we changed, El Nido, I don't know how far back, but it looks like there was some civilization there now. Before, it was nothing but an empty sea that had strange phenomenon that occurred there," Ty explained.

"Hmm, so I wonder if you may have changed Crono's dad's fate as well?" Lucca mused. "He went there to investigate, but never returned. That's where we're going tomorrow, I want to know more about this and more about that Frozen Flame you mentioned!"

*End of Chapter*


	7. Act 2 - Ch7: The Princess's Errand

Chrono Corruption

Act 2: The Fall of Guardia

Chapter 7: The Princess's Errand

*Manolia Town Ferry Station, Kingdom of Guardia*

Crono and his friends stood at the docks near the Explorer Corps' vessel, the 'Radical Dreamers' waiting for Ty and Tomo. Crono wore his trademark blue tunic over a dark green sleeveless shirt with tan baggy pants, dark green socks and new strapped leather boots. He also wore a white bandana around his forehead and an orange shroud around his neck and shoulders. He kept a blue rucksack at his left side and his dad's sword. Finally, he wore gold bangles on his wrists.

Marle wore her white blouse and matching baggy white pants with brown leather sandals. She also wore a sleeveless purple vest that buttoned with only a single button right under her neck line. Along with that, she also wore a white shroud with a hood over her shoulders that was pulled down. Lastly, she wore golden bangles on her wrists and right upper arm, a red Ribbon around her left upper arm, a golden plate girdle with chain around her waist and a large black sheathe that held her hunter's bow.

Lucca wore a leather hair band that had a headphone with a small antennae covering her right ear, an orange sleeveless hooded sweater that was zipped up she wore over a dark greenish brown long sleeved shirt, black stretchy spats, socks that matched her long sleeved shirt, leather strapped boots, black fingerless gloves, two gun holsters that held two pistols and a large case that seemed to hold other scientific tools strapped to her back.

Crono seemed a tad worried, "Ty and Tomo are running a little late, don't you think?"

"I'm sure they'll be here any minute, Crono," Lucca stated as she brushed her bangs from aside.

Marle smiled at her, "Not used to wearing a helmet all the time yet? I think you look much cuter without it! That stylish new haircut is all you Lucca!"

"Gee, thanks Marle...," Lucca replied with a slight blush at the praise.

"Oh look, here they... come...?" Crono said as he seen Ty walking towards them with an overweight woman that was carrying a large box in front of her, obscuring her face. They came up to Crono and his friends and the woman sat the crate down. It was Tomo, but in her original state. She announced herself reassuringly, "Hi, don't worry, its still me, Tomo. This is what I really look like, heh!" she blushed nervously.

Crono and the girls' eyes were wide with amazement, "Geez ! H-how, how much food did you eat last night?!" Marle asked in amazement.

"Well, she can use magic, so I guess this... means she can change her appearance with it?" Lucca asked curiously.

Tomo responded, "Yep, I didn't want any surprises, so I came as I truly am!"

"Wow, I think Janus did the same thing, y'know, to look like a Fiend?" Crono whispered to the girls.

"It certainly seems so...," Lucca deduced.

"Ty gave me more confidence lately, so I'm not so concerned about my body shape anymore!" Tomo explained. "I'm built like a wrestler..., more or less! I'm super strong so I wouldn't be a burden!" she said rubbing the back of her head.

"Give'em a quick explanation Tomo," Ty said with a gentle smile.

"I was going to, don't rush me!" Tomo said nervously. Tomo took the time to explain her and Ty's magical abilities and how they were able to do what they did and how they understood it themselves.

Marle whispered to Lucca, "Awe, Ty is so sweet Lucca, he doesn't hold her appearance against her at all! Don't you think that's great!"

"...Yeah, that's... that's a major plus," Lucca said with a blush as her eyes darted elsewhere. "He made me feel more comfortable with what I was wearing after all, despite how embarrassing it was..."

"Hmm, a 'gentle giant', huh?" Marle claimed with a giggle.

"Can we just get aboard the ship now?" Lucca said growing irritated.

Marle cleared her throat, "Alright everyone, we should get going now! If we have everything we need then let's go aboard!" she announced loudly, yet majestically. With that, everyone boarded the ship and in no time at all, they sailed off as dawn came over the horizon.

*El Nido Sea*

As the party reached the El Nido Sea they noticed a storm began rolling in. It was not a large one however. Nevertheless, Toma kept up his guard. Marle was on the bridge with Toma giving him clues as where to go according to the archives about Crono's dad. "Let's see, according to these notes, there should be a place here called the 'Triplet Isles'," Marle said revealing where their search should begin.

"Ah, no problem, I know where that is, your majesty!" Toma said gruffly.

Toma turned the wheel, making the ship head south. In a short time, a small dome shaped land mass came into view. They sailed over to it and two more could be seen in the distance. The waters in the center seemed illuminated. "This must be it!" Marle stated joyfully.

Toma's mouth was agape, "It wasn't like this before, why the light show?"

Toma and his crew readied the bathysphere and Ty and Tomo cringed a little. Lucca adjusted her glasses as she got a good look at the device. "Where did they get this technology?" she muttered quietly to herself. "Its years ahead of its time!"

"So whose going?" Crono asked curiously as he took a look upwards. "It only looks like it can fit two people."

"Hmm, Ty and Tomo will have to. I hired them for this remember?" Marle said with a giggle.

"Well Tomo, here we go again...," Ty said with an uneasy grin.

"Well, look at the bright side... maybe we won't have to go that deep this time," Tomo followed.

They both boarded and the bathysphere closed. Toma then used the crane to lower the machine into the ocean depths. Tomo was right, they weren't nearly that deep as before, but what they saw was astounding. Their expressions were in awe as they noticed the structures of a lost civilization. Pyramids, ancient temples and statues of mythical figures littered the sea floor. They were stepping on the grounds of something completely new to them. "Ty, none of this was here before!" Tomo gasped.

"Yeah, it seems that the Annihilation Fragment we gave that curator changed a few things, although I'm not sure how...," Ty responded.

The receiver sounded with Toma's voice, "Hey, can you guys hear me? Can you see what's causing the light in the water?"

The two came to their senses as they changed the bathysphere over to its robotic mode. "...Uh, hold on Toma, we're adjusting our position!" Ty said as he took control of the legs.

Ty turned the robot around and around looking for a source of light and finally found it emanating from the tip of a pyramid structure. "Wow, what is that pillar of light?" Tomo asked with wonder.

"Only one way to find out!" Ty said as he began moving the bathysphere. They moved the bot around the pyramid until they found an opening and entered. Inside was strange technology they had never seen before. It was small and cramped inside as they approached the source of the light. The tech in the room seemed like a cross between magical and mechanical. A strange blue miniature pyramid structure hovered at the very center of the room. It shined brightly as it slowly spun counterclockwise.

The receiver bellowed with Toma's voice, "Well, have you found anything?"

"Yeah, its some... kind of device... We have no idea what it is...," Ty responded.

"Im gonna touch it...," responded Tomo as she poked the structure with the robotic arm.

It made a strange sound as if she tapped a wind chime. It then began to spin rapidly and rise higher into the room until leaving through the roof.

"Tomo, what the hell did you just do?" Ty asked in surprise.

"I touched it...!" she responded defensively.

The receiver chimed with Marle's voice, "Hey, so the archives I have with me say that Crono's dad manipulated some device inside a pyramid. Is that what you two just did? Because if it is, then according to these notes, there are two more of those!"

"Okay, well it seems all we did is activate... whatever that thing was," Tomo replied. "Let's find the others!"

"Toma do you see any more lights on the surface?" Ty asked curiously.

"Yes, another one is up ahead, but it looks pretty far, so I'll pull you guys back up so we can sail there safely," Toma replied.

And so, Toma pulled up the bathysphere and sailed his ship to the next destination. Ty and Tomo were lowered into the depths once more and entered the structure. The room was filled with red light as they approached the strange device. They activated it cautiously and it too, departed. Toma clenched his fist with a cheer, "That's another one! Your majesty, do the notes say what will happen when we activate them all?"

"Yes, according to this, something will emerge from the ocean floor!" Marle replied with a hard swallow.

"What, a monster or something?" Crono asked hoping for a fight.

"It doesn't say specifically, this was written in a hurry," Marle claimed.

"Well, by the sound of it, it must be large enough to be significant," Lucca said cautiously. "Let's be on our guard!"

Toma pulled up the bathysphere and headed to the next location. Once they arrived, they once again were lowered into the ocean. Pale green light illuminated this pyramid. Ty and Tomo quickly entered the structure and activated the green colored device and it reacted in the same manner as the previous two. "Well, that's it Ty," said Tomo. "Isn't something supposed to happen?" she continued as the bathysphere began to rumble.

"There it is...," Ty said rather calmly. They quickly left the building and the earthquake got worse until something emerged from the ruins. "What is that thing?!"

"I don't know, but it looks dangerous!" Tomo cried out.

The strange object headed for the surface and to the ship above. "We've got to warn Toma!" Ty said alarmed.

Tomo hit the button on the receiver, "Dad, something big's headed your way! Watch out!" she warned.

"Thanks darling! Alright it looks like something's coming up, everyone get ready!" informed Toma.

"Alright, finally, some action!" Crono said as he darted out to the main deck.

"Hey, wait for us!" Marle shouted as she and Lucca followed quickly.

The party assembled on the main deck as a massive object emerged from the water. It was mechanical in nature and resembled a large levitating mask with feminine features. It had a spherical third eye set into its forehead and two apparatuses that free floated at its sides. The two objects were shaped like bicycle wheels only they were in half and seemed like they fit together. It was mostly white, but had green, blue, and red details. "Wow, this is incredible technology!" Lucca praised.

The mechanical mask hummed, "VITA GENESIS ONLINE...! REPEL INTRUDERS FROM GREAT TOWER!"

"I think its gonna attack us...," Marle said nervously.

"Bring it on!" Crono taunted as he unsheathed his dad's sword.

Vita Genesis contorted its expression to one of hate as its eyes glowed fiercely with a red color. It's opening attack was a pair of eye lasers that were aimed at all three members of Crono's party. The lasers followed each member along with the machine's creepy gaze. Luckily, Crono and his friends dodged most of the attacks while only receiving small burns in return. Lucca and Marle retaliated with their ranged weapons. Crono on the other hand, had a different plan, "I'll use magic, that should stir things up!" he said as he cast a Lighting Bolt. The Lightning Bolt spell connected and hit with great force. Vita Genesis took a considerable amount of damage.

Lucca and Marle pressed their backs together with their weapons raised, "Hey Marle, shall we hit it with magic together?" Lucca asked with a grin.

"Hell yeah!" Marle replied enthusiastically.

"Someone's been cooped up for too long!" Lucca said with a giggle. Lucca collected a sphere of fire in her right hand.

"You know it sister!" Marle replied as she surrounded herself with an icy aura.

The two women synchronized their movements, "Antipode Bomb!" they said in unison. The Fire Ball and ice blast hit Vita Genesis at exactly the same moment to create an explosion caused by the collision of two opposing forces.

The damaged done to Vita Genesis was staggering. "Wow, its still functioning after all of that?" Crono said amazed.

"According to my Sight Scope, it doesn't have much left to fight with," Lucca claimed.

Just then, Vita Genesis tried another form of attack, "Amplify..." it whirred as energy was shared and redirected from its two apparatuses to the eye on its forehead. It blasted the whole party with a massive wave of red energy. They screamed as they were sent to the deck floor.

Crono picked himself up and shook his head trying to regain his senses, "Ouch, that packs quite a punch!" he said shaking.

"Don't worry Crono, I got you!" Marle said as she enveloped Crono with her Aura spell.

"Thanks sweety!" Crono said with a confident grin. "Lucca let's finish this thing off!"

"Okay!" Lucca said as she brushed herself off.

Lucca conjured another Fire Ball in her palm and Crono dashed towards Vita Genesis. Lucca tossed the Fire Ball and it collided with Crono's blade. Crono's sword was now red hot as he began spinning. "Let's see you survive a Fire Whirl!" Crono shouted as he flew around Vita Genesis like a tornado with his blade outstretched. Crono passed and passed Vita Genesis cutting deeply into it. Once the attack ended, Crono landed back on the deck and Vita Genesis fell to pieces. The pieces fell into the ocean and the party tucked their weapons away. "Ahh, that was refreshing!" Crono said as he stretched. Marle healed herself and Lucca as Toma came out.

"Great work, I didn't know you guys could use magic!" Toma said with surprise.

"Um, it's a long story. Shouldn't we get Ty and Tomo back up here?" Marle asked, changing the subject.

Before Toma could respond, the ocean became restless. A massive maelstrom formed and from its center emerged a large tower like structure. The structure was a temple of some kind. Out from its windows, poured sea water as it seen the sun for the first time in who knew how long. "That's incredible!" Crono shouted in a joyful awe.

"That must be the Great Tower that Vita Genesis was talking about!" Marle said.

"It must have been guarding the entrance! Toma can you dock us at the entrance?" Lucca asked hurriedly.

"Yes, just after I reel in Tomo and Ty," Toma said as he went to the crane.

*Later, Anomalous Building*

Toma docked his ship at the strange building and the five of them disembarked. Toma shouted to his daughter from the main deck. "You be careful now dear, you hear?" he said with caution. The building was lined with large marble pillars and many were chipped and broken. The walls were lined with remnants from the sea and water leaked out of everywhere.

"I will dad!" Tomo reassured with a cheerful wave.

"Wow, its hard to believe this was able to rise out of the ocean!" Ty started. "Things were crazy under the water!"

"I'll bet, I'm glad you guys are okay!" Marle said joyfully.

"Me too, that must have been frightening!" Lucca said with concern.

"Hmm," Crono thought out loud as he gazed at the building.

"What is it, Crono?" Marle asked curiously.

"This place may not remain here forever. Marle, what do the notes say my dad's party did next?" Crono asked urgently.

"There isn't much left Crono, but Vita Genesis killed some of your dad's company, but it looks like they still managed to disable it using heavy artillery. The notes say..., oh hey, a page is missing...!" Marle said alarmed.

"Huh, a page is missing?" Crono responded.

"Yeah, it's the last one!" Marle confirmed. "It looks like we'll just have to go in and see for ourselves."

"Well, daylight's burning, so let's go!" Ty said as both he and Tomo headed in first.

"Hey, you won't get ahead of me!" Tomo responded as she followed.

"Quick after them! We should stick together!" Crono commanded.

*Great Tower*

The inside of the tower seemed to be a safe haven for undersea life. The crumbled walls and disheveled floors were infiltrated with coral and other minerals. Fish flopped around trying to find their way into the contained puddles and pools that were formed from the rubble. The room they were in was absolutely massive and cylindrical in shape. Finally, what was left of a broken stairwell lined the walls and led into the darkness above them.

"Hmm, this looks like some sort of altar room in a temple," deduced Ty.

"I wonder if worshipers gathered here?" Tomo asked rhetorically.

"The stairwell looks a tad unstable, we should be...!" Ty said as he was interrupted by Tomo who challenged Ty to the top.

"Last one there is a rotten egg!" Tomo taunted with a giggle.

"Tomo wait a sec...!" Ty shouted with a warning as Tomo began to climb the stairs. Almost immediately, Tomo's recklessness got her into trouble. A portion of the steps collapsed underneath her and she comically dropped into a puddle below. She was slightly disoriented and had a fish on her head, but otherwise okay. Ty sighed then followed it with a laugh, "I told you they were a little unstable."

Crono and his friends joined in the laughter as Tomo stuck out her tongue with embarrassment, "Sorry, I guess it couldn't hold me!" she replied.

"I'm guessing this happens a lot?" Marle asked with a smile.

"Yeah, you could say that," started Ty with a shrug. "Heh, she's always running in to some sort of trap that I need to bail her out of."

"And here I thought Ty would be the reckless one," Lucca quipped.

"Either way, Tomo and I will scout ahead for any traps," Ty said as he helped Tomo out of the water.

"Yeah, just leave it to us!" Tomo said confidently.

With that, Ty and Tomo went ahead of Crono and his teammates to scout ahead. "Well, we don't want to hang around here all day, do we?" Lucca asked impatiently.

Crono regrouped and headed up the spiraling staircase. It crumbled and cracked with every step and the sounds of small pebbles hitting the floor mixed with the distant sound of rushing water made them a tad uneasy. "Yeesh, I wonder how far it goes up? I don't even see those two anymore," Marle stated.

"It looks pretty far, oh wait, look at this," Crono said as he inspected the stairs as they moved further up. "This place is so battered it looks like we'll have to jump our way through," he finished.

"Cool, I'm good at jumping!" Marle claimed with a giggle.

"Yeah, you can't sit still, can you Marle?" Lucca quipped with a smile. Marle smiled in response.

Crono and his friends walked carefully up a fallen pillar to get to the other side of the broken stairs. They made it safely and made it to the first door since their climb from ground level. The sun shined brightly through. They went outside and found themselves on a stairwell that lined the outside. As expected, the steps were slimy and an assortment of Bellbirds hindered their progress, but they weren't much of a threat. As they continued to climb, they fought with continued resistance until finally reaching the next level of the structure. They could see everything from out on the balcony. "It looks like we're almost to the top!" Marle said with joy.

"Yeah, there's just one more level after this one. I wonder what's up there?" Lucca asked rhetorically.

"Hey look, its Ty and Tomo, I wonder what they're up to?" Crono asked as he and his party approached them.

They seemed confused as they stood in front of a sealed door that had two pillars next to it. They bickered playfully, "Darn it Ty, don't go wrecking everything with that Wind Spiral spell of yours! At least tell me before you use it so I can actually hit something with my Earth Rumble spell too!" Tomo whined.

Then Lucca stepped forward and caught their attention. "Hey, are you two having trouble timing your spells or something?" she asked.

"It would seem so, my Wind Spiral can wipe out most of these creatures before Tomo's Earth Rumble can even strike. I don't really see what the problem is though, she killed a giant oyster that was in front of this door after I stole 'this' from it!" Ty said with a smile as he held up a large clear crystal. "I think this is a key or something. This culture really uses crystals for lots of things it would seem. So if I just place this little doohicky on this pillar first...!" he said with Tomo shouting as he approached a pillar that stood next to the door.

"No wait, the other one first!" Tomo cried out pointing to the right pillar.

"What's gonna happen...?!" Ty said as he was caught breathless as a flash of colorless light emerged. Instantly, the party was surrounded by Bellbirds from the sky and strange flying lion fish from the water below.

Tomo slumped her shoulders and gave Ty a cross gaze, "I told you..."

"Well this is a good opportunity to show you guys how to combine your spells with your friend's techniques!" Crono said as he unsheathed his sword.

"Combine our techniques?" Ty asked curiously as he unsheathed his daggers.

"You mean we can combine our magic?" Tomo followed.

"Yep, let's show'em Lucca!" Crono instructed.

"You got it!" Lucca responded as she conjured up a Fire Ball. "Now watch closely as I strike Crono's sword with my Fire Ball spell!" she informed.

Crono held his sword skyward and Lucca gave her Fire Ball a toss. It enveloped the blade and it turned red hot. Crono dashed off with blinding speed and began a Cyclone attack. Only this time. It appeared as though he was emitting flames as he cut down the hostile critters.

"Heh, now that was a sight to see!" Ty said with a grin.

"Yeah, just like a fireworks display!" Tomo followed.

"I used to use a mechanical Flamethrower for that one, but my Fire Ball spell made that obsolete so I don't carry it with me anymore," Lucca explained as she placed one hand on the frame of her glasses.

"That's how you combine magic with skill!" Crono said as he came back.

The hostile creatures gained reinforcements. "Oh good, there's more! Hey Lucca, let's show them they can combine magic spells too!" said Marle.

"Right, not only can you combine spells with skills, but you can combine spells with other spells! Also, if one of your skills compliments another persons skill you should chain those too!" Lucca noted.

"Now watch closely, you have to time it just right!" Marle said as she clasped her hands together in a prayer like state. "Ice Blast!" she chanted.

Lucca followed with her Fire Ball and tossed it at a Bellbird. The Ice Blast and Fire Ball collided at the same time created a fusion of both spells that enveloped the monster. The two spells resulted in a powerful explosion that eliminated the critter.

"That's our Antipode Bomb, it's the combination of two strongly opposing forces that can't be in the same place at the same time!" Lucca explained.

"Now it really is a fireworks display!" Ty laughed.

"Hey Ty, let's try using ours like that!" Tomo said as she bounced around. Tomo squatted and braced herself as she radiated a yellow light. My Earth Rumble spell is slow, so I go first!"

"Alright, I hear ya!" Ty said as he followed soon after. Ty rose his right arm into the air and his body radiated with a green aura. Tomo's spell shook the ground as a magically generated trail of dirt and rock emerged. Ty extended his right arm and a whirlwind consumed the stones. In an instant the tornado broke the stones down into sand particles and it crashed into the incoming monsters with a howl. They were buffed into skeletons in a matter of seconds.

"Alright, it worked! We made a Sandstorm, Ty!" Tomo cheered with joy.

"Now tat's what I'm talking about!" Crono cheered. "You two did it on your first try!"

"Well, we have learned to sync up our strategies, so it wasn't too bad!" Ty explained with a grin.

Lucca and Marle clapped while Crono made another suggestion, "Let's see how many other spells can combine with each other! Ty throw another Wind Spiral my way, I just got a cool idea!"

"I think I know exactly what your thinking!" Ty said as he created another Wind Spiral. The whirlwind began twisting and turning and Crono jumped into it just as he performed his Cyclone technique. It was just at the right moment for the two to mesh together perfectly. Crono took Ty's whirlwind for a spin and the tornado cut away at the copious amounts of creatures.

It ended with Crono laughing to himself, "That was one wild ride, I'm calling that one the Aero Whirl!"

"Wow, jumping into a tornado like that. You must have some crazy balance to not get dizzy or sick. I would be done if that were me!" Ty said with admiration.

"Hey Tomo, what do you get when you heat up rock a couple thousand degrees?" Lucca suggested.

"Oh, let's find out!" Tomo said as she used Earth Rumble again. The ground shook as the cracks shined through with a yellow light. Lucca threw her Fire Ball into the largest crack in the center and suddenly, the ground began to move and glow reddish. Like a small volcano, molten rock burst from the magically generated earth and hit many monsters out of the air. "Magma Burst, that's what you get!" Tomo said, answering Lucca's question.

"Now it's our turn Ty, I'll whip up another Ice Blast and combine it with your Wind Spiral!"

"You got it!" Ty said as he conjured another tornado. The tornado sucked up the cold spell with ease and it became a punishing winter storm. "Alright, an Ice Storm, nifty!"

"I knew that would work!" Marle said happily.

"We're not done yet! They keep coming so we gotta keep going!" Crono ordered. "Hey, Tomo can you use that whip?"

"I sure can, my Lady's Thong whip is the best!" Tomo said as she took the whip and started cracking it.

"I'm going to add some more crack to that whip so get ready!" Crono said as he conjured up a Lightning Bolt.

Tomo swung her whip in the air and caught Crono's Lightning Bolt and it absorbed it. Tomo took the charge to the flying Bellbirds and whipped a line of them with a swipe of the whip. The lightning discharged shocking the flying fish nearby. "Lightning Chain, that's what I'm calling that one!" Tomo said with a wide grin.

"I got one! Ty make another whirlwind!" Lucca said boldly.

"Comin' right up!" Ty said as he summoned more wind.

Lucca created another Fire Ball and threw it into Ty's tornado just as it was picking up speed. The two melded together creating a tempest of flames. "Look at those Scarlet Winds!" Lucca said proudly.

"Oh, that's just pretty!" Ty followed. "Roasted Bellbird anyone?"

Marle turned to Tomo, "Hey Tomo, can you use the Earth Rumble again? I have an idea!"

"Sure thing!" Tomo replied as she cast her spell.

The two ladies combined their spells and the ground instantly froze over only to break apart and shower targets with chunks of frozen rock. "Nice one, what should we call it?" Marle asked.

"Tundra Rumble!" Tomo shouted as she sported a peace sign with her right hand.

After the spell was over, the party quickly noticed that they had dispatched all of the violent critters. "Okay that's enough of that," Ty said as he took the crystal battery from its pedestal.

Crono clapped his hands as if to wipe dirt from them, "Well, that was a good work-out!"

"Yeah, I'm impressed you two caught on to the combinations so quickly!" Lucca stated with a bright expression.

"Wohoo, I needed that! That was the most fun I've had in a while!" Marle cheered as she hopped up and down.

"Good thing we met you guys, we needed those tips!" Tomo thanked cheerfully.

"Thanks you guys, it was very helpful," Ty said as he approached the opposite pedestal. "Hopefully, this pedestal will open the door!" he finished as he placed the crystal on it. The metal gate lowered instantly as it reacted to the crystal.

"Yay, it opened! Let's see what's inside!" Tomo said as she rushed the door and flung it open.

The party followed and were met with a large room with windows lining the second story. It was in the same shape as the rest of the tower. Shelves made isles and isles that made one slightly dizzy upon inspection. "What is this place?" Crono asked a bit overwhelmed.

"It looks like some kind of ancient library...," Ty deduced as he ran his hands across an ancient tablet, wiping away the sea sand.

"Wow..., such a pity all the knowledge here is destroyed...," Lucca said with melancholy.

"Do you think Crono's dad came by this way?" Marle said with her hand to her chin.

Ty mused, "...Hey Crono, do you know if your dad carried anything of value to him? Like a personal possession he always carried around?"

Crono thought deeply with his arms crossed, "Hmm, well..., I did find my dad's sword in the graveyard not to long ago. It was never there before and I heard his voice calling out my name! That's what led me to it," he said as he showed Ty the battered sword that looked as though it couldn't even cut paper.

Ty took the blade and inspected it, "Hmm, this blade..., it's a custom sword, not the typical standard issue sword that Guardia Soldiers are equipped with. It's also beat to hell, so it looks like your dad was quite the active swordsman," he said. He inspected it further and found a compartment in the handle, "That explains the light weight a little better. Hmm? What's this? A piece of parchment?" he said as he extracted the paper. "Would you like me to read it, or would you like to?" he asked Crono.

"I'll do it...," Crono said as he took back the sword and letter. Crono read the letter silently, "Dearest son... This may be my last mission as the Sea of El Nido is filled with horrifying tales of disappearances. The Viper Clan of Porre have been sending a few of their own to this place for almost a century, but none returned. As a result we've been tasked with our own search. We have been given help from some 'guide' from Porre, but he seems really suspicious to me. He always wears a hood and we can't see his face at all. Out of all the missions I've been on for Guardia, this one fills me with the most dread. If you choose to pick up the way of the sword one day, my boy, I know you'll do great things with it! I'll try to get this letter to you as soon as I can...," Crono said as he tried to soak it all in.

Marle came up to him gently, "This is the missing page from the files..., something must have happened before he could send it."

"...Yeah...," Crono said quietly.

Marle took the note and noticed more writing, "A P.S. is left on the back," she stated. "The man in the hood is a traitor... Only a handful of men have escaped. He said he wanted the 'Frozen Flame' or whatever. That library at the top of the tower reveals this... weird facility hidden underneath all of this... If anyone finds this note, tell my wife Gina and my son Crono... that I love them..." Marle read with tears welling up in her eyes. "...And that's it...," she finished as she embraced Crono.

Lucca noticed the ghostly pale expressions on Ty and Tomo's faces. Something about the letter spooked them. "Hey, what's wrong with you two? You act like you've seen a ghost."

"The man in the hood..., it can't be... Can it, Ty?" Tomo asked worriedly.

"I think it is...," Ty snarled.

"What about the man in the hood?" Lucca asked as Crono and Marle turned to face them.

"Tomo, the note said there was something here that opened up a secret passage underneath us. I'll bet it leads to, 'you-know-where'!" Ty said as he darted off to started checking around the library.

"Wait for me Ty!" Tomo said chasing after him.

"What spooked those two? What are they talking about?" Marle asked dumbfounded.

"I have a feeling we're about to find that out!" Lucca stated. "Come on, let's move!"

The party began their search for anything that looked like a switch or a nob that may open a secret passage. Tomo was off in a corner searching through the broken rubble of ancient tablets until that is, she touched a specific one. In her hands it conjured up a Fire Ball and she dropped it in surprise, "Woah, what the heck?!"

Crono recognized this, "Water summons Wind, Wind makes Fire dance...," he said quietly.

Ty managed to open an ancient safe and he frantically searched through the decomposed contents until he too found a tablet that summoned a tempest of wind in his hands. "Yikes, now that's freaky!"

Marle was in the center of the library looking at the massive pillar. She then noticed a small tablet like the others and touched it. It generated a splash of water on her face. "Oosh, that's chilly!"

Crono leaned over the railing and turned his attention to Marle, "Hey Marle, touch that tablet again!" he said as he then turned to Ty, who was closely examining his tablet with a magnifying glass. "Now Ty, touch your tablet again!" he said as Ty looked up and agreed without saying anything. He then turned his attention to Tomo and Lucca, "Now, one of you touch that last one again, hurry!"

Lucca touched the tablet and the third was activated. Once it went active a massive rumble generated by the sound of stone grinding on stone could be heard below them. Ty approached Crono, "How did you know to do that?" he asked curiously.

"...Because I've seen this puzzle before...," Crono stated. "Come on everyone, let's get back down."

Crono's party surrounded a cylindrical elevator that looked as though it was from the future. It was revealed when the circular stone pattern in the floor at the foyer of the tower had moved away.

Ty and Tomo seemed to recognize it, "T-This elevator, it's-!" Tomo started.

"The one from Chronopolis!" finished Ty.

Crono and his friends were astonished at their claim. "Chronopolis? What the hell's a Chronopolis?" Crono asked bewildered.

"We'll explain later, first let's take the elevator straight down to the bottom. I need to confirm something!" Ty said nervously.

"And just how do you expect to do that?" asked Lucca while she inspected the elevator. "This thing is broken, there's no power running to it."

"Like this!" shouted Tomo as she took her hammer and comically batted the entire elevator aside, revealing a deep dark hole. "Now all we need is a rope!" she said as she revealed a strong sturdy rope from her knapsack.

"And what if its flooded as well?" Lucca asked, stopping Tomo. "We're still not above sea level!"

Marle approached the hole and knelt down, "Helloooo down there!" she yelled. The dark hole echoed. "Hey, I can hear my echo, that means we're clear!"

"Alright Tomo, since it was your idea you go into the hole first!" Ty suggested with a mischievous smile.

Tomo suddenly expanded to her fat form, "Can't, my hips are a... bit too wide for that hole...," she ended with a laugh.

"What ever happened to 'ladies first'?" Ty said sarcastically.

"I'll stay here and hold the rope and let you down! I make a great 'anchor' in case you didn't notice!" Tomo said as she tied the rope around her waist and legs.

"Oh, yeah, I noticed it alright, all 400 pounds of it!" Ty said sarcastically as he tied the other end of the rope around his waist.

"Hmph, you jerk!" Tomo said angrily as she punch Ty into the hole and sat down with a pout.

Ty screamed comically as he fell into the dark hole. "Wind Spiral!" he shouted as he cast the wind spell beneath him to gently avoid the sudden stop at the end of the fall. He let his feet touch the floor and found himself in complete darkness save for the spotlight he stood in. "I'm'ma get you for that!" threatened Ty comically. He looked his person over for a flashlight, but soon realized he didn't have one. "Can someone spare a flashlight, please?"

"Yeah, I got one," Lucca said as she took one from her rucksack and tossed it into the hole as gently as she could, "Make sure you catch it!"

"Where is it, I can't see-! Ouch!" Ty said as he was cut off by the flashlight striking him. "Ow, it almost poked my eye out!" he said as he picked up Lucca's flashlight. He turned it on and began taking in everything he could see. Just like the time before, all that was revealed by the tiny light was broken and sea salt covered machinery from a future time. He managed to slowly navigate a bridge that was very slippery. In the darkness, he could hear water slowly entering the chamber. "Got to make this quick!" he said aloud.

Ty made his way to a large metal door that was left ajar. He entered the room with a tight squeeze. He soon realized that this room was the same room that he and Tomo found the Frozen Flame, only now there was only darkness. "It's not here..., where's the Frozen Flame? Did Crono's dad find it or did the man in the hood? He was trying all this time to get it. That's it..., time to back to Guardia!" Ty mused aloud as he left the room and went back to the spotlight only to reveal water had already reached his ankles. "Or at least, let's get out of here first! This place is returning to the ocean! Hey Tomo, pull me up, the water's rising!"

"You got it!" Tomo said as she used her strength and bulk to easily hoist Ty to the surface.

As Ty reached the surface his face was met with a splash of water. "What the-!" he said as he spat water out of his mouth.

"The water's entering the building now!" Crono said as he helped Ty out of the hole.

"Anyone up for a swim?" Marle said enthusiastically.

"Enough chit-chat, let's just go!" Lucca said as she quickly left the building and jumped into the water. She was quickly followed by everyone else, one by one. They swam to Toma's ship and he threw over a net so they could climb up.

The party rested on deck, soaked like rats. "So, Ty, anything concerning my dad down there?" Crono asked still panting. "Oh, and you mind explaining what a Chronopolis is?"

Ty looked at Lucca who already heard the story from him and they decided to lay down their story to everyone. "Let's get cleaned up first and I tell you everything...," finished Ty.

*End of Chapter*


	8. Act 2 - Ch8: Conspiracy

Chrono Corruption

Act 2: The Fall of Guardia

Chapter 8: Conspiracy

*The Sea*

After getting themselves cleaned and ready to turn in for the night, Crono, Lucca, Marle, Ty and Tomo sat in their pajamas, ready to listen to Ty and Tomo's story as they sat peacefully waiting in the entertainment deck of the ship. Crono was eating a chicken leg at the table, while Tomo feasted on a large roast across from him in her true form. Marle hugged a large pillow and sat in front of Ty, who sat in a chair with Lucca looking on from behind him. Marle was ecstatic, "Oh boy, story time!" she said like a small child filled with wonder.

"Well, it's like this...," began Ty with a deep breath. "By what we experienced and have learned from our ordeal, we can safely claim that Tomo and I traveled through time. It looks like we are from another time line and 'replaced'...? I want to say? The other versions of ourselves that were from this time line. You see, the time line we're from, there is nothing in the Sea of Eden, it was just... empty sea. What we saw there today was completely new to us, but the other versions of us from this time line apparently knew about that civilization and have been researching it."

Marle and Crono were astounded to meet two more time travelers, while Lucca smiled. "So, you traveled through time too, huh?" Crono asked rhetorically.

"Wait, what? You just said 'too', are you telling me you time traveled?" Ty asked sidetracked.

"We'll tell ours in a moment, why don't you finish first?" Marle suggested, eager to hear their story.

"Okay then...," Ty said, clearing his throat. "We went diving in search of valuables that day and Tomo slipped off the continental plate and began to sink thanks to all the stuff she carried. I went to bail her out and we sunk for quite a while until we saw a strange structure in the water. Once we got back to the surface we told Toma to let us use the bathysphere we got from Porre to go and check it out. When we got that deep it turned out to be nothing but a metal tower from a ship, but thanks to a storm above we lost contact and kept on sinking until we hit bottom and were nearly crushed by the water pressure. At the bottom we found a facility that was like it was right out of a science fiction novel. So we searched it like the explorers we are. Eventually, we found the legendary Frozen Flame at the center of the facility. A legendary treasure for the taking. We nabbed it and managed to return to the surface with our lives. After some R&R we decided to check out the find. After messing with the thing, it shot out a pillar of light and Tomo and I were glowing. Our artifacts also glowed and we could then use magic with our artifacts acting as some sort of catalyst."

"Yeah, that was the weird part!" Tomo interrupted. "Its like we got a new part of our bodies or something. We couldn't explain how we could use it, we just could. And when we didn't have the artifacts, it felt like that part of the body went numb!"

"Actually, now that you say that, that's how magic is for us too!" Marle said with revelation.

"Except we don't require a catalyst...," Lucca followed.

"So, what is this 'Frozen Flame' thingie?" Crono asked with suspicion.

"Yes, I would like to know more about this 'treasure'," Lucca noted curiously.

Ty took a pause from his experience to explain the artifact. "From all the info I've gathered over my years of treasure hunting, its some kind of... artifact from the distant past. Before we found it we thought it was some kind of massive jewel, but I don't believe that anymore. Its something... otherworldly for sure. I've noticed that it never appears in prehistoric art or cave drawings. This implies that it wasn't known then and was discovered sometime after prehistory. However, we can't put a date on when it was discovered 'exactly', but we can place its discovery sometime during the Ice Age."

"I wonder who discovered it?" Lucca asked rhetorically.

"Yeah, me too," Ty said in agreement. "Anyway, that light it gave off alerted a Porrean Captain named Zolander Viper, who was on patrol. He came by and raided our ship. We made sure to hide the Flame. As it turned out, his daughter Riddel was poisoned and with my knowledge of toxins and venoms handy, he wanted my assistance in curing her. I was happy to help her. As I was studying the toxin, a stranger in a hood and cloak paid me a visit. Needless to say, I didn't appreciate the fella's presence, so I asked him to leave. After some tests, I concluded that I needed some supplies from the 'underground market', so we returned to Chorus. While we were there, I received a letter... from you Princess," Ty said mentioning the letter he gave her back when they first met.

"SO that's why I didn't recognize it!" Marle realized. "It was from an alternate me!"

"After getting what I needed, I returned to Viper and gave his daughter the cure. He then took me and the others to Porre to reclaim our ship," Ty explained further. "I managed to sneak aboard to find Tomo as she wasn't with us the entire time..., wait what 'did' happen to you anyway?"

"Well, its kinda hard to remember as I blacked out a lot," Tomo said nervously. "After our capture, they took me to the kitchen and I ate a Hyper Kabob. It tasted weird, but after I was done they took me to some secluded chamber at the bottom of Viper's ship. Then, I sat down in the chair and a few moments later, I blacked out. I then woke up on our ship with my dad at the Porre harbor. I was then taken to the bottom of the ship by a cloaked man and restrained. Then you showed up and I heard the ring of a jingle bell and that's... when I blacked out and became a monster. When I woke up I was in my normal fatty figure, something no one other than my parents have seen. Ty gave me a reassuring pep talk, but before we could leave the bottom of the ship, the cloaked man appeared with the Frozen Flame and claimed that he now had what needed to rule everything or something. He used it, to banish us to some weird place that was just..., mostly nothingness. We fought off creepy critters that were two dimensional and then Ty stole a glowing rock from a big one and we jumped through a portal," finished Tomo ecstatically.

Ty continued, "We ended up in the futuristic facility that we found earlier at the bottom of the sea. Only this time, it was above the sea and operational. We were shown around by the leader of the place who called the place 'Chronopolis'. He dropped Lucca's name before we were sent back via the teleportation device they had. And then we made our way to you...," he finished.

A few moments passed with silence and then Crono gave his attention to Ty, "Hey, you said something about a cloaked man. My dad's note also mentioned this guy, do you think it's the same man?" he asked.

"I think so...," Ty said calmly. "Once I reached the bottom of that tower, it was indeed Chronopolis. The Frozen Flame however, wasn't there. So I'm guessing your dad took it or the cloaked man did."

"It looks like we'll tell you our time travel tale another time," Lucca said with a yawn. "For now, I'm turning in for the night."

"Yeah, I'm all sleepy now," Marle followed.

"I'm worried about Guardia," Crono said. "I hope nothing's wrong... I'm gonna find this cloaked guy and see if I can't get some information out of him. If he is responsible for killing my dad, then I'm gonna mop the floor with him!" he finished.

"I'll be happy to assist you!" Ty followed with a cross expression on his face.

"Me too!" Tomo chimed in.

"Well then, it's settled, once we get back to Guardia, we'll start a search for this guy," Lucca planned. "But for now, let's rest up for the night," she finished. Everyone agreed and went to their separate rooms for the night.

*Manolia Town Harbor*

Toma's ship docked at Manolia Town and Crono and his friends disembarked. Marle asked Toma if she could barrow Ty and Tomo for a little while and he agreed in a brown nosing fashion. As they made their way through town, Ty leaned in to Marle, "Hey, uh, Princess? Would you be willing to give us some money for some new equipment by any chance?" he asked very politely.

Marle smiled, "Only if you stop calling me by a title and address me by Marle!" she said waving her finger in a scolding fashion.

"Oh, um, if you insist Marle!" he said cheerfully.

The party made a stop at the shop to browse their goods. Crono approached the clerk and she was more than happy to help. "Hello there! How may I help you?" she asked.

"Hi, what kinds of weapons and armor do you have for sale?" Ty asked politely.

"Well, we're kinda low on stock right now, but I can always have something crafted for you if you have the materials!"

Ty searched through his rucksack, "Drat, no metals... What can you make from this?" he said as he handed over a lot of ivory and fur pelts.

"Well, let's see...," she said as she examined the materials. "We can make you either a set of scrimshawed daggers called 'Sabertooth Knives' made from some of the ivory and a little bit of the fur pelts or we can take all of both to make a scrimshawed Mammoth Masher for your hammer toting girlfriend!"

"Oh my, um, she's not, my girlfriend actually," Ty chuckled uneasily as Tomo merely blushed with her gaze shot downward. Ty turned to Tomo, "So, do you want a new hammer or should I get the daggers?"

"Well, it is your stuff, why don't you just get the daggers," Tomo said nervously. "I mean, I would like a new hammer as this one smells like Ogan, but..."

Ty stood straight up with his eyes widened, "SO THAT'S WHAT THAT IS!" he said in shock. "At first I thought you just needed a bath and I wasn't gonna say anything 'cause I thought it would be rude! Here hold on a minute!" Ty said turning to the clerk, "Go ahead and make the hammer, please!"

The clerk took the materials uneasily as she seen Tomo boil with anger. "YOU THOUGHT IT WAS ME?! YOU SHOULD HAVE SAID SOMETHING YOU BONE-HEAD!" she said as she comically smacked Ty out of the shop with her hammer and he went flying through the street.

*Later*

As the party left the shop, a pouting Tomo tuned her nose up at an apologetic Ty who took her new hammer with her. The Mammodon Masher was made from hard ivory and had fur lining the heads of the double headed hammer as well as the base of the head and end of the handle. Finally, it was 'scrimshawed' with ancient letters from a dead language for style.

"Oh, come on Tomo!" Ty pleaded. "You know I didn't mean it like that!"

Marle watched as she bit on her thumbnail, "Boy, these two get along so well, its gonna be hard for anyone to get between them!"

*Castle Guardia*

"So these are your new friends, Nadia?" asked King Guardia XXXIII. "Tomo Levine and Ty Drayguard. I've heard of the Levine family and I welcome you to Guardia Miss Levine. You, young man, I'm less familiar with, but I welcome you nonetheless! Oh, Crono, I have some urgent news for you! While you were away on your errand to find your father, your father returned!"

"What?!" Crono gasped in surprise.

As Crono gaped his mouth in surprise, a man began walking into the throne room from behind them. Crono heard the footsteps and slowly turned his head. Tears welled up in his eyes as he laid his gaze upon the figure that approached. The man in question, had hair just like Crono's, red and fiery, but he had a small ponytail. He had facial hair that matched. He wore a tattered bandanna and the navy blue Guardia soldier uniform that was decorated with golden accents. He also had a sword strapped to his right side. "Hello son, my it's so wonderful to see you again!" he said as he too started to hold back tears.

Marle took a deep breath, "Oh, I'm gonna cry!" she said trying to breathe deeply.

"Well, I'll be a Nu's uncle...," Ty said flatly to Tomo. "The guy's alive.."

"Don't ruin the sentiment bone-head!" Tomo whispered back while placing her elbow in his side.

"What, what did I say?" Ty whispered in return.

As Ty and Tomo silently bickered, Crono rushed up to his dad and embraced him. "Dad, where have you been all this time?!" he struggled to say.

"I was..., well, let's just say I was stranded...," he replied. "I've already met up with your mom and it was a tearful reunion. I'm overjoyed I could make it back to at least see my son get married and to the Princess no less! You've done me so proud son!"

"Caelus, it's so wonderful to have you return to your kingdom and its people," said King Guardia. "So shall we continue with the wedding plans? It shall be the largest celebration this kingdom has seen in ages!"

Crono quickly approached Ty and Tomo, "Hey, would you two attend my wedding as guests?"

"Sure thing, I'd be honored!" Ty said with a respectful bow.

"Oh, I love weddings!" Tomo said with a lovey dovey tone.

Marle followed up, "And for your help we'll see to preparations about giving Chorus its independence after the wedding's over!"

Ty's and Tomo's eyes brightened and they jumped with a cheer. "We did it! Everyone will be happy to hear this!" Ty cheered.

"Yeah, it all worked out for the best didn't it?" Tomo said happily. "I'm so excited!"

King Guardia called forth all the servants of the castle, "The wedding shall now proceed. It shall be held three days from tomorrow! So I want everyone to get preparations ready!" he ordered while throwing up his arms.

"Yes, your majesty!" said in unison, a comically sized crowd of servants.

All the servants cleared out of the room as fast as they entered leaving only the King, Crono, his dad, and his friends. Crono and his dad began walking out with Crono talking about all of the things he wanted to tell his dad. Marle quickly went after to catch up to them. Tomo stretched, "Well, I think I'm gonna go take a nap! That long trip back here took it outta me. Say Ty, since I didn't get to check out the festival the first time, how about you and I go check it out together later?" she asked with a smile.

"Sure, I think I'll take a tour of the castle while you doze off or something," Ty said laxly.

"Okay!" she said cheerfully as she then excused herself from the throne room and went to the knight's quarter's for a nap.

As she walked off Ty noticed a very stoic Lucca. She seemed off in her own little world. It was obvious something was on her mind that had her worried. Curious, Ty approached her, "Hey, everything alright? You've been awfully quiet since Crono's old man showed up."

Lucca blinked a few times as she came back down to the planet, "Oh, I'm sorry, I was thinking..."

"About? May I ask...?" Ty said showing concern.

"This..., what just happened I mean," Lucca stammered. "It doesn't make any sense... Crono's dad showed up so... suddenly. I mean it doesn't add up at all! I should be happy for Crono, but I don't! I feel this overwhelming sense of dread!"

"Maybe you should believe in miracles more Lucca," Ty suggested with a chuckle.

"I believe in miraculous things just fine Ty," Lucca started with a deep breath. "But this..., just feels off for some reason."

"Well, come out and get some fresh air with me, maybe you'll feel better!" Ty suggested gently. "I would like to know my way around this castle better if I'm gonna be sticking around for a few days."

"Alright, maybe I do need a little breeze on my face," Lucca said nervously.

*That Night*

Ty wandered the castle hallways during the evening hours, restless and bored. Footstep after footstep he took, accompanied by an occasional sigh. He passed by a bedroom door only to hear strange voices coming from within. One didn't sound like it belonged to a human, so Ty leaned quietly up to the door to eavesdrop. "Hmm, this doesn't sound right...," thought Ty as he listened harder.

The gruff deep voice spoke softly, "So I just have to keep this disguise for a little while longer?"

A second voice responded, "Yes, you only need to look like him for a little while longer," said the stranger.

"It was a great idea, having me convince the Princess to find you!" said the monstrous voice.

Ty recoiled from the door with a cold sweat as he realized who the second voice belonged to, "It's Crono's old man! But who is he talking to?" he thought as he moved away from the door.

The bedroom doors opened and a set of eyes peeked out, "Hmm, I thought I heard footsteps coming up to the door...," said Caelus as he shut the door on an empty hallway.

Ty returned silently to the Knight's Quarters to get some sleep. He lies in bed thinking, "This is bad, someone here isn't who they appear to be! Who do I tell though? I can't tell Crono, he wouldn't listen to me if I claim his dad is up to no good. Neither would Marle or the King. Wait... Lucca was already suspicious about this whole thing. I gotta tell her, somehow. Crono will listen to her...," he thought quietly as he calmed down and drifted off to sleep.

Ty awoke the next morning and rolled over to find the fit bodied Tomo coming to wake him up, "Oh, I guess I didn't need to wake you up then," she said with a tinge of disappointment in her voice.

Ty sat up, "What are you getting ready to do?" he grumbled and ended with a yawn.

"I'm going into the Guardia Forest to exercise, wanna come?" Tomo asked cheerfully.

"Doin' the ol' grind, huh?" Ty chuckled. "Sure, let me just get ready. I need to get some more materials anyway. Also, we can go to the festival afterwards if you want."

"Sounds good to me!" Tomo agreed with a smile.

"Oh wait, before we go! Where's Lucca? I have to tell her something!" Ty said urgently.

"She's probably around here somewhere. I think I seen her headed towards the basement, probably to her lab," Tomo informed. She then turned slightly suspicious, "Why, what do you need to tell her?"

"Just, something about Crono's dad...," Ty started worriedly.

"Huh?" Tomo seemed confused.

"I overheard him talking to someone at night in his room and it sounds like he's up to something!" Ty whispered loudly. "Don't tell anyone though. That's why I'm going to go tell Lucca, she might know what to do. She was suspicious from the start!"

"Okay, well, I'll meet you in the forest then!" Tomo said as she departed for her routine.

*Royal Laboratory*

"So you're saying Crono's dad is planning some foul play?" Lucca asked rhetorically as she placed her hand to her chin in deep thought.

"Yeah, I don't know who he's with, but that voice did not belong to a human," Ty said worriedly.

"I knew this situation bugged me, but I wasn't sure how," Lucca said. "Still we don't have enough evidence to go and accuse him of anything either."

"So, you got any ideas?" Ty asked.

Lucca thought for a moment until something came to her, "Wait, you said the Frozen Flame was missing from Chronopolis when you went into that hole right? Perhaps it's here in Guardia and Caelus is trying to find it!"

"How will finding the Flame prove he is up to something?" Ty asked curiously.

"I'm not sure exactly, but maybe whoever he is with is in disguise so he can relay info about the Flame," Lucca deduced.

"I feel that there may be a few holes in that deduction, either way, I'm definitely doing some snooping as soon as everyone settles in for the night," Ty said, crossing his arms. "There's no way in hell, I'm doing anything in the day time. Not with all these guards around."

"I know my theory is a little shaky, but it's the best I can come up with," Lucca said nervously. "You just act normal and I'll keep an eye out here inside the castle. Here's a map of the castle as it is now," she finished as she handed Ty a new map. "Study this before you go sneaking around."

"Right, I'm gonna go train with Tomo for a while and then hit up the festival again. Catch you later!" Ty said as he left the lab with a wave of his hand.

"I really hope you can find something Ty," Lucca said softly to herself.

Later that evening after everyone had turned in for the night, Ty quietly left his bed, fully dressed. He slipped up the stairs to the second level of the Knight's Quarters like a sneaky shadow. Not making a single noise. He inched his way into the Guardia corridors until he turned a corner and met with two of the night staff guards. "Where are you headed, sonny?" the first guard said mockingly.

"Oh, I just needed to use a restroom is all, but this castle is... a bit confusing at night. Could you tell me where the closest one is?" Ty asked politely.

"Is that all, sure, its down this corridor and is the first door on your right," said the second guard.

"Thanks, you guys do your King a great service!" Ty said convincingly. "It's times like this I'm kinda glad the title of 'King of Thieves' is something only heard of in the underground, or I would always be looked at with suspicion!" he thought as he dismissed himself.

Ty continued through the castle like a silent serpent weaving its way though the forest floor. He made it to the castle's front door and hid behind the stair case leading to the throne room. Two guards passed jokes to each other to pass the time. Ty threw a coin over the stair case and the guard became a little suspicious. The one furthest from him moved to check it out while the one in front of Ty kept watch. Ty took the opportunity to hit the man on the hand with his Ghostly Strike technique that was coated with his Tranquil Toxin. It left a paper cut sized wound. He quickly stepped back and the poison was fast acting. As the other guard returned confused over the noise, he noticed his partner was very drowsy. "Hey buddy, you need to lie down for a moment? You don't look so good," said the guard.

"Yeah, I'll be right back, I think I'm gonna go lie down, I'll send someone..., in my place," said the other guard with a yawn.

"Hold up, I'll take you there, just get a hold of yourself. You've been working a lot lately!" said his partner as the two headed to the infirmary. They didn't notice Ty at all. Making haste, Ty ran silently up the staircase. As he reached the top, he felt a precise massive blow to the back of his head. He was out cold in an instant and hit the ground with a 'thud'.

Caelus and the Chancellor appeared as if out of thin air. "Yep, this is the one alright. I recognize the scent. He was listening to us through the door!" said the Chancellor.

Caelus sheathed his sword with a gentle smile, "Ty Drayguard..., not at all that impressive for someone who descends from the King of Thieves. Perhaps that really was just a nickname. Either way, take him to the Guardia Catacombs below the castle. We can't have this one sticking his nose in where it doesn't belong until the wedding."

"Right, erm, what about his friend, the fat one?" asked the Chancellor. "She might be trouble if she knows he's gone missing."

"Don't worry about her, she won't notice anything if we have the guards 'pamper' her," Caelus said. "We just have to wait a little bit longer...," they laughed in unison.

*The Next Morning*

Tomo came down into the Knight's Quarters to see if Ty wanted to continue training in the forest, but she didn't find him, "Hmm, I wonder where he is?" she thought out loud.

Her thoughts were shattered as two maids came up to her and grabbed her attention. "Excuse me, Miss Levine?" the first one asked.

"Oh, um, yes?" Tomo stammered.

The second maid started, "We were wondering if you would like to taste test some of the foods we will be serving?"

The first maid followed, "Yes, we heard you're quite the gourmand!"

Tomo seemed uneasy, "Um, well I don't think I should eat to much before I go exercise...," she said nervously.

The first maid egged her on, "Oh, but this is such a special occasion Miss Levine! Can you not take a break from your training to treat yourself?"

The second maid continued, "We will give you all you can eat!"

"Well, I suppose I can take a break! It isn't often I get to eat Guardian cuisine!" Tomo relented with a smile. The two maids clasped their hands together cheerfully as they casually led her to the castle's kitchen.

*Royal Laboratory*

Lucca paced back and forth in the empty lab worried. Her worry grew as the day moved forward as she had not seen or heard from Ty. She sighed, "Where is he? I hope nothing went wrong...," she said under her breath as the door t the lab opened and Crono came in.

"Hey Lucca, what are you doing in here? You seem a little out of it," Crono asked with concern.

"Oh, um, it's nothing! I'm just running some things through my head is all!" she said with an uneasy chuckle.

"Lucca, I know you better than this, I can tell something is bothering you," Crono said sternly.

Lucca sent her gaze to the floor, "Tell him what Ty told you, tell him something you dummy! Our very lives could be at stake!" she thought desperately. "Crono, what would you do if say..., Caelus was an imposter?"

Crono's face went blank, "What do you mean Lucca?"

"What I mean is..., how do you know its really him or not?" Lucca said with a very tense expression.

Crono simply smiled, "I know it seems sudden Lucca, but it's really him. All this stress has us all worked up. I gotta admit even I'm wanting this to be all over so we can fall into a nice routine. Although, no matter how you look at it, being Prince will take some time getting used to!"

"I..., sure Crono...," Lucca relented.

"Good, now shall we go and help the others?" Crono asked with a smile.

"Sure, I'll be right there," Lucca said softly.

"Oh, by the way, have you seen Ty? I haven't seen him in a while," Crono asked curiously.

"Not recently, last time I seen him he went to go train in the forest," Lucca said as truthfully as she could.

Crono placed his arms behind his head in a stretch, "Ha, that guy! He must want to catch up to me! Alright then, I'll see you in a bit then!"

"Okay...," Lucca replied. Crono waved as he left and Lucca took a deep breath, "I can't handle this much stress. Where are you Ty? Don't make me come look for you!"

*Wedding Day*

People from all over Guardia filled Leene Square in anticipation of the Princess's wedding day. Right under Nadia's Bell stood the beautifully decorated alter where Crono and Marle were to accept each other's vows. Crono stood, dressed in his regal clothing with a white cape and golden crown. He was obviously anxious as he waited for his bride to come down the red carpet. The King stood nearby Crono and came to his side, "You seem a tad troubled, are you so nervous my boy?" he asked.

"Of course, but one thing's missing," said Crono.

"What is that?' replied the King, wide eyed.

"You remember the two Chorusians, Ty Drayguard and Tomo Levine? I invited them to the wedding, but I can't see them anywhere in the crowd," Crono said with concern.

"Ah, they must be hanging around the square somewhere having fun," reassured the King. "There's no need to worry."

"I hope so," Crono said, not entirely sure. "Lucca did seem rather worried..."

*?*

The sound of rushing water was the first thing Ty heard as he woke in a dark dungeon. He rubbed the back of his head softly. "Yeowch, Crono's dad sure packs a whollop. I'm still feeling that hit. I've been down here for a while now. Ah, headache or not, I gotta break out!" Ty thought out loud.

Ty realized he still had his Thieve's Kit and other equipment with him. Reaching into his kit, he brought out lock picking tools. Fighting back the pain in his head he reached around the iron portcullis and easily picked the old lock. He cautiously opened the gate and stepped out. He took in his surroundings. He was in a cave with some small streams running throughout. "Whew, this is an old as all hell dungeon! The cells are just set into the cave itself! I must be underneath the castle. This must be..., the Guardia Catacombs..."

Ty began to investigate the cavernous dungeon. Cells were set into strange positions in the natural cave formations. Some even seemed tortuous in nature. Other torture devices such as guillotines, iron maidens and racks were strewn throughout the area. He swallowed hard as he became uncomfortable. "Oh well, no reason I can't loot the place!" Ty thought, keeping his mind on something else. He traveled to each cell he came across, picking the locks and taking anything he could find useful.

Eventually, after looting numerous cells and filling his pockets, Ty heard a creepy moan echo off the cavern walls. "H-hello, is anyone there?" Ty shouted loudly as he drew his daggers.

The voice responded, "Ty? Over..., over here, ohh," the familiar voice said with a moan.

"Wait, is that you Tomo?" Ty asked loudly as he ran towards the origin of the voice.

Ty searched for a cell he had not yet opened and finally found one. "In here...," moaned Tomo.

Ty picked the lock and entered to find his friend in her natural state sprawled on the ground, rubbing her stomach. She was moaning in pain as she stared up at the ceiling. "Wow Tomo, you seem... 'larger' than normal! What happened?!" he asked in wonder.

She moaned as she began her explanation, "Uh, the whole day..., yesterday. The maids... dragged me to the kitchen... to, ugh, try samples of the food that was to be served..., erk, at the wedding. Everything was delicious..., ugh, once I started... I couldn't stop! Even when I had enough... ohh, the maids just kept stuffing food into me... I guess I must have fainted after being..., stuffed stupid! I guess I really can eat a lot, but if I eat another thing I'll pop!" she moaned in pain.

"Wow, I guess so, your belly is almost twice the size! Did you misplace a few organs by any chance?" Ty chuckled.

Tomo struggled to get up only for her stomach to jiggle and slosh in protest as she slipped on the damp cavern floor. "Ugh, it didn't get 'that' big you twit! Ugh, help me up would ya?" she pleaded.

"I think you need to stay here and rest for a bit, how did you get down here anyway?" Ty asked curiously.

"Not sure, like I said... ugh, I fainted after eating too much and I woke up here," Tomo explained. "Are you just gonna let a young woman lie on a cold dungeon floor then?" she scolded. Her stomach sloshed and made an audible growl of pain that even Ty could hear. Tomo moaned, "Never mind, I belong here...," she collapsed.

Just then, Ty's attention was caught by the sound of approaching footsteps. "Tomo do you hear that? Someone's coming!" he asked as he got behind Tomo and helped her up.

"Ohh, be more gentle would you?" Tomo pleaded.

"Its kinda hard when you're all big like this! Can't you transform into your thin state?" Ty asked irately.

"No, apparently, my body won't respond to the spell if I've overeaten! I'll change back as soon as my gut settles!" she said sitting up. Tomo got to her feet and took a deep breath, "Wheew, I'm up!"

"Come on, let's move!" Ty urged as Tomo followed.

They left the cell and started up to the main door of the dungeon only to be intercepted by the Chancellor. "I was just coming to check on you, but it seems you've escaped..., no matter. Ohh, I was hoping for a good meal, so I had those maids stuff the fat one silly! I was hoping you would gain a little more weight before I ate you!" he said with an inhuman tone growing in his voice.

"Tomo, it's the monster in disguise!" Ty warned.

Tomo was pale with fear, "I was being fattened for some monster?! Gross, now I feel even worse!"

"You won't be chowing down on anyone you bastard!" Ty threatened with his daggers drawn.

"How dare you speak to me that way, human!" the Chancellor shouted angrily. "TRUE-FORM, CHANGE NOOOW!" chanted the imposter. The imposter gleamed with light until its physical body changed. When the light faded, the Chancellor imposter reverted into a Yakra.

"He's a purple Yakra?!" Ty said astounded.

"Not just any Yakra either, this is a Yakra King!" Tomo stated. "Its bigger, stronger and has magic too!" The Yakra King was just like any other Yakra. He had a purple flabby and fuzzy body that was shaped like a mole with claws, snarling teeth and bull like horns.

"That's just lovely...," Ty said sarcastically. "Well, I guess its eat or be eaten then!"

"I will gobble you both up!" threatened the Yakra King as he lunged forward.

Ty leaped into the air and slashed the monster across the left cheek. This only seemed to irritate it however. It roared in anger as it bolted around the cavern in a hurry, sweeping them both off their feet. Tomo sat up and clenched her stomach in pain with a moan.

Ty took the moment to take out a new poison, "This is my 'Deadly Poison', so get ready to feel your life being sapped away!" he said as he coated his daggers with the wretched toxin. Ty then used his Ghostly Strike technique to hit the monster in the hide. It shouted in pain as the open wound bubbled with the poison.

"Nice one!" Tomo said with a thumbs up gesture. "Now it's my turn!" she said confidently as she raised her hammer and landed it on the Yakra King's right rear paw, crushing its claws.

"Yeeooowch!" roared the Yakra King. "That does it! You asked for this! Avoid my 'Needle Spin' technique if you can!" The creature's skin crawled until it morphed two spouts from its back and ejected a torrent of long thin needles at the two of them. The attack was so fast and the needles fell like rain on them. They only managed to protect their faces and vital areas but a majority of their bodies had taken the needles quite deep.

"Ouch..., that really stings... like... everywhere...," Ty cringed as he began pulling out the needles.

"I know, but... it's a good thing... I'm fat right now... none of these needles got to my organs!" Tomo reassured as she to pulled out the needles.

The Yakra King laughed menacingly, "Just like pin cushions! You now have enough air holes so you'll cook properly!" he added as he conjured fire in his gaping maw. Before he could breath his fire the Yakra King felt the effects of Ty's Deadly Poison and oddly colored drool oozed from his mouth. The fire ceased as he began to cough. "Ugh, the poison is strong..., Drayguard must be... the cure... I'll eat him first!"

Suddenly, the monster lunged towards Ty, who was to injured from the Needle Spin to do anything, but look on in horror as the Yakra King barreled towards him. As Ty closed his eyes for an incoming he heard a loud hit. Tomo had smashed the creature's face in with her hammer, intercepting him. Ty sighed with relief, "Ah, thanks Tomo, you really saved my bacon there!" he chuckled as he knelt down and guzzled a potion. "Yech! I hate the taste of those things!"

Tomo turned to Ty, "You're welcome! He left himself open!"

Ty noticed the Yakra King open his jaws and instantly lunge for Tomo instead. Ty opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came as the beast's jaws clamped down on the right upper half of Tomo's torso. Tomo screamed as Ty covered his eyes in horror, fearful that the beast just tore a huge chunk of his friend's body off. However, Tomo just kept on screaming until she realized that their was no pain. The beastly Yakra was in too much pain and weakness from Ty's poison that it simply stood there moaning. Tomo dislodged herself from the Yakra King's mouth and wiped the smelly ooze from her clothes in disgust. She was angry, "Ty, let's hit him with a Sandstorm!"

"Sounds good to me!" Ty agreed as the two conjured their magically generated Earth and Winds. The spells merged into a powerful dust devil and engulfed the now fearful Yakra King. The Yakra King roared loudly as its skin and fur were buffed off. "Wow, he's still alive? What a stubborn monster!"

"Too stubborn if you ask me! So, it's eat or be eaten, huh? Well, I know the perfect way to finish you!" Tomo shouted with a big grin as she used her Gastromorph technique. The bright yellow light enveloped the agonizing Yakra King and in an instant he morphed into a small Yakra shaped pastry. She took it in her hands in just a few bites, she gulped it down. After licking her fingers she gleamed with a yellow aura. "Hey, I learned that Needle Spin technique! Here watch!" she instructed as she blasted a nearby rock with a flurry of needles that materialized from her hands. She laughed triumphantly until she felt the pain of her overstuffed stomach again. She fell back onto the ground, "Ugh, that Yakra pastry... it sits on my stomach like a bowling ball! Oh my! I think I'm gonna pass out now!"

Ty shook his head and sighed as he approached her, "You really couldn't wait to just eat that pastry later?"

"No way, pastries must be eaten when fresh or they dry out and get stale if you leave them for too long!" Tomo explained as she lay on the ground. "Anyway, you can leave me here if you want, I'll catch up as soon as my gut settles..."

"Nah, I got'cha...," Ty said as he took her feet and began dragging her out of the dungeon.

"Hey, this feels kinda nice...," she said pleasantly.

"Don't worry, I'll give you a special metabolic toxin I'm working on! It's still in the experimental stage, but it should speed up your metabolism for a little while to help you digest all that food!" Ty stated as their voices echoed throughout the dungeon. They comically bickered back and forth until the echoes stopped, shut off by a huge door closing.

*End of Chapter*


	9. Act 2 - Ch9: A War and a Wedding

Chrono Corruption

Act 2: The Fall of Guardia

Chapter 9: A War and a Wedding

*Guardia Catacombs*

Ty continued to drag Tomo through the Guardian Catacombs and she was sweating profusely and her skin was red as a beet. "What did you give me Ty?! I'm so overheated and... hyper!" she said frustrated and flailing about. "It doesn't go well with indigestion, ugh!"

"Like I said, it's my new technique!" he began. "Although I still need time to perfect it. I call it, the 'Adrenaline Rush'! It's a concoction that unleashes a massive boost of power in my body, not unlike adrenaline! In this stage, its helping you burn some of those excess calories. Since its speeding up your metabolism, your digestion has also sped up. You should feel better as soon as we get back up to the castle!"

She jumped up to her feet, "Never mind the dragging, I'll race you to the exit!"

*Leene Square*

The wedding bells rang as Princess Nadia appeared at the end of the red carpet dressed in the finest wedding dress to fit royalty. She gazed at Crono through her veil to catch the eyes of her husband to be and he was awestruck. His eyes widened as they sparkled with delight. The music began as Marle began slowly walking down the walkway as little flower girls threw petals of white, yellow and purple everywhere behind her. The King escorted his daughter until reaching the platform where he gave his daughter to be married. The priest called out, "Who gives this young woman to be married?"

"I the King of Guardia, give my only daughter, Princess Nadia Guardia to be married this day!" he said with delight. He let go of his daughter's arm and she rose to the platform to face Crono and the joined hands as the priest began his sermon.

Marle and Crono spoke silently to each other. Marle's eyes darted around but found something strange, "Where's Lucca? She's a bride's maid, but she is missing!" she asked quietly.

Crono responded quietly, "I'm not sure, Ty and Tomo are missing too. Maybe Lucca went to go and find them. She seemed really worried ever since my dad came back."

"Well, I hope she returns soon!" she whispered back.

*Guardia Catacombs*

Ty and Tomo approached another large wooden door with torches lighting the surrounding area. "Is this finally the exit?" Tomo asked with hope.

"I sure hope so...!" Ty was cut off by a knock at the door.

They drew their weapons, expecting an enemy, but they just heard a familiar voice as the door opened. "Oh, I was right, you guys are down here!" said Lucca as she emerged.

They sheathed their weapons with a sigh of relief, "Oh, thank goodness, its you Lucca!" Ty said relieved.

"Yeah, I was hoping it wasn't another Yakra!" Tomo also said with relief.

"A Yakra, you guys met with a Yakra?!" Lucca asked astounded.

"We'll explain on the way, let's move!" Ty urged as he to the lead.

*Leene Square*

The priest turned to Crono, "Do you, Crono Trigger, takes this woman and Princess to be your lawfully wedded wife and join the Guardia royal family, in sickness and in health, or richer or poorer, for as long as you both shall live?"

Crono brimmed with confidence, "I do!" he said loudly with joy.

The priest then turned to Marle, "And do you, our esteemed Princess, accept this man into your royal family to be your lawfully wedded husband, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, for as long as both of you shall live?"

Marle swelled with joy, "I do!" she said trying to hold back tears of joy.

The pastor faced the audience, "Then if there is anyone who believes these two should not be wed, then speak now or forever hold your peace!" he said to the crowd. A moment of silence overtook the air, followed by a quiet, but very audible explosion off in the distance. A plume of smoke erupted in Truce Village to their south. Crono and Marle's eyes widened with fear as their hearts sunk into their guts. The priest noticed, but instead of causing a panic, he went on with the ceremony, "Then by the powers invested in me, Crono you may kiss your bride!" he instructed. Hoping is was just some sort of failed firework, Crono and Marle kissed and the crowd cheered loudly for the new couple. They faced the crowd, hand in hand with gold rings on their fingers and they seen the smoke arise as another distant explosion could be heard. "Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, Crono and Nadia Guardia!" said the priest as he stepped back, his job now done.

Crono and Marle walked back down the walkway only to be met with a horrid sight. Truce Village was seen on fire in the distance. The explosions they heard, turned out to be mobile steam driven cannons with Chimera motifs, strange mechanical dolls and other such war machines operated by quickly approaching Porrean Soldiers.

A Guardian soldier shouted, "To arms, we're being invaded! Fate save the King and the new couple!"

Crono and Marle were in shock by what they witnessed as Truce Village was being burnt to the ground. The Porrean soldier's and their steam machines quickly entered into Leene Square and the crowd began to scatter. The King turned to Caelus, who had a strange unsettling smile on his face, "Caelus, help me get to safety!" he begged.

"Yes, your majesty!" he said as he began to lead the King away.

A single Porrean Lieutenant approached Crono and Marle with two robots at his side. He pointed his sword at them, "People of Guardia, enjoy your festival while you still can! For this day your reign comes to an end! Soldiers of Porre, ATTACK!"

At his command other soldiers used their matchlock rifles to fire into the crowds of people while the robots trashed everything in their path. Crono picked up Marle 'princess' style and they retreated. "We can't fight back without our weapons and there are to many innocent people amongst the crowd to effectively use magic!" Crono said with a cold sweat. "Lucca was right and I didn't listen...," he lamented as Marle simply shed tears with her lips quivering.

Just then, a familiar face emerged from the crowd. A short and stocky man with black round glasses, a bushy white mustache and robes and a hat with a blue, white and orange color scheme came to them. "Melchior!" said Crono with surprise.

"Come with me lad, let's get you two to a safer place!" he urged desperately.

*Castle Guardia*

Lucca, Ty and Tomo emerged from the catacombs and could hear explosions come from the forest below. "Looks like the party started without us!" Ty said as he looked out a nearby window.

"Alright Lucca, what should we do now?" asked a concerned Tomo.

Lucca adjusted her glasses, "We fight back! Follow me!"

"I was hoping you'd say that!" Ty replied with a smile.

*Castle Guardia Rooftops*

On the rooftops, Guardia Soldiers readied their antique weapons. A massive explosion hit one of the walls and rubble flew everywhere. "Lady Ashtear!" said a Lieutenant as he approached. "We are having problems with your equipment! It seems to only be backfiring on us! The Porrean machines are heading to the castle's main door! We can't stop them with our antique weapons! We're getting demolished!"

Lucca was unsure what to do as she hoped her new inventions would help, but not only did they not help, they hindered them. Ty grabbed her by the shoulder. "Hey, stay calm and think, here they come," he said as grappling hooks and ladders attached themselves to the sides of the castle walls.

Tomo, in her fit form, approached Ty with a set of knives. "Ty look, I found some throwing knives! You can use these for some extra long range! Your daggers can't reach everything you know!"

"Right, good thinking! I've been needing to stock up on some of these!" Ty said as he stuffed them into his Thieve's Kit.

Porrean Soldiers quickly emerged and began doing battle with Guardia's finest. The party was surrounded as Ty plucked one soldier off with a throwing knife right between the eyes. "Nice shot!" Tomo praised.

"I know, normally I stink with these things!" Ty said as more soldiers took their comrades place.

Lucca's frustration peaked, "Gahh, enough of this!" she shouted as she took out two specialized pistols and began rapid firing them at every Porrean Soldier she could see. "How do you slime balls like my Trigger Happy technique!"

"Nice!" Ty said as the smoke cleared. "But that won't hold them off for long! Let's fall back a bit and get a better position!" he said as he threw out one of his smoke bombs.

*Meanwhile, In Guardia Forest*

Crono and Marle, now no longer dressed in their wedding garb, were given back their weapons and began sneaking through the forest. Porrean war machines marched through the forest and began torching every bit of flora they could find. Marle wanted to collapse and breakdown, but Crono kept her going. "We have to reach the castle Marle, the others need us!" he said to a silent Marle. "I'll have to remember to thank Melchior for getting my mom and Lucca's parents to safety when we get out of this!" he thought gratefully.

*Castle Guardia*

The King was successfully escorted back to his throne room by Caelus. He was in quite a panic, "What shall we do? I surely cannot remain in here!" said the King frantically.

"Not to worry, you should be safe in here for the time being. If you'll excuse me, I need to check on something," said Caelus calmly. With great speed, Caelus departed.

*Guardia Castle Rooftops*

Lucca and the others fell back across a tower bridge. As they did so, the tower they were on had collapsed from the cannon fire coming from the forest below. The debris littered the forest floor. This made the bridge unstable and it now swayed slightly. "Run! Make a break for the other tower!" Lucca shouted strongly. The party made a mad dash for the next tower and luckily they made it in time as the bridge collapsed under its own weight. They now stood before the tower, looking at the fighting in the courtyards below.

Ty felt a sudden wave of air behind him and as he turned around, he laid his eyes upon Caelus, who stood smugly before them. Tomo and Lucca turned to face him shortly after Ty in surprise. Lucca ground her teeth, "Caelus! What are you doing?!"

Caelus took a deep breath, "Ahh, well, your two friends there seemed to kill off that stupid Yakra King... I guess he couldn't keep his appetite under wraps. Oh well, a minor setback. I'll beat these two myself," he said with a creepy grin.

Lucca didn't even have a chance to move her eyes before Caelus vanished from sight. Suddenly, Ty was in front of her, defending himself from an oncoming sword strike. Caelus backed up and was almost impressed. "I'll pay you back for that cheap shot to the back of my head earlier!" Ty claimed angrily.

"A man like you shouldn't complain about sneak attacks...," Caelus said coldly. Ty spit back as a response.

"His speed is unreal," marveled Tomo.

He readied his katana and it shined like a prism. Lucca noticed the sword, "That's Crono's Rainbow Sword! How did you get it and why? Why are you doing this?!" she said in confusion.

"Such a fine sword, but it seems my son has grown too soft to use such a blade. Have at you! Descendant of the King of Thieves!" Caelus said setting his sights on Ty.

Ty dropped a smoke bomb and Caelus was already in his face seemingly unhindered by the smoke. Lucca and Tomo could do nothing as they heard the chattering of sword versus daggers colliding with one another. "Ty, I wish you didn't throw out a smoke bomb! I can't get a clear shot!" Lucca said angrily.

"Yeah, I can't see anything either!" Tomo remarked as she held back from getting into the smoke.

No matter what move Ty tried Caelus was able to block it effortlessly. He then used his Ghostly Strike to appear behind Caelus only to have an elbow in his face as a countermeasure. Ty held his nose reflexively as blood poured from it. Ty's smoke bomb cleared and Caelus made one final strike cutting Ty deep on his right shoulder. Blood poured out from his burning shoulder and onto the ground as he collapsed.

"Ty!" shouted Tomo as she rushed Caelus. She swung her hammer valiantly, but it just seemed like slow motion to Caelus. Realizing that her hammer would never reach him she tried her magic instead. "Let's see if you like your own friend's technique used on you!" she announced as she used the Yakra's Needle Spin technique.

"Hmph, pointless...," said Caelus coldly as he moved so fast he left afterimages. "I can use magic too sweetheart...," he said mockingly. He pointed at her with one finger and fired a very thin, bright ray of pure white light. The beam of light pierced Tomo's left side right underneath her ribs and she collapsed. "My Photon Ray should keep you down. Now where we're we...," he said, lifting his head toward Lucca.

Lucca was visibly shaking, "I don't understand..., are you helping Porre?"

In a split second, Caelus appeared quickly enough before Lucca to speak into her ear, "Indeed I am, come with me and I'll explain everything."

Lucca backed up and aimed both her pistols at him with her Trigger Happy technique. Unfortunately, Caelus was able to block every bullet with ease. "No way...," Lucca said astonished.

"Did you not see the other girl just try essentially the same thing?" Caelus said threateningly as he closed in on her. "And here I was hoping you would let me explain things for you! For someone with such high intelligence you made such a stupid decision!" he said as Lucca felt a burning sensation across multiple areas of her body. She collapsed on the ground, her blood staining the stone beneath her. "You'll see things my way soon enough," he said as he sheathed his sword.

*?*

Crono and Marle trekked through a deep dank tunnel, "It's a good thing that old well in the forest led us into the catacombs! We can get back into the castle from here without being noticed!" thought Crono. "C'mon Marle, we have to find our dads and get to safety," he said gently.

Marle was still in shock, unable to process her current predicament. Crono took her hand and it seemed to calm her down quite a bit. They easily made their way through the catacombs and noticed a sudden influx of monsters that weren't present before. They fought their way to the exit and reentered the castle. Porrean Soldiers had wrecked the castle. The corpses of every defender were strewn throughout its halls, they never stood a chance what with Porre's sudden advancement in technology. The carnage threw Marle back into shock. Crono growled angrily as they headed to the throne room. Porrean Soldiers and their mechanical dolls attempted to intercept but were dealt with easily with magic. Crono and Marle snuck up to the throne room, but they had been spotted and they rushed up the stairs and entered the throne room shutting the double doors behind them.

Crono and Marle were astonished at what they saw. Lucca, Ty and Tomo lie injured in front of the throne, suffering from their injuries. The King was on his knees, tape over his mouth with Caelus in front of him and a strange cloaked man behind him. Time seemed to stop as Crono realized that the King was in a position to be executed. Crono swallowed hard, "D-dad? What's going on? What's happened to my friends?"

Caelus laughed deeply, "Nothing much..., just a little 'sparring' practice is all..."

"I don't... understand...," Crono said weakly.

"No, this might a bit tough for you to understand my boy," Caelus began as he cleared his throat. "...This nation's reign is coming to it's end. It's called a power shift, son. The boys with the biggest toys win the wars! Guardia is holding the world back with its Medieval ways. They've been in control for long enough. The man back there, helped orchestrate all of this. He was an advisor that was helping us get to El Nido a while back. Our ship, the one Guardia sent us with somehow broke down and he was able to offer his own ship as a 'Service to the King'. He seemed to know exactly how to navigate El Nido and he knew about the ancient civilization there. Long story short, we found the legendary Frozen Flame! He grabbed it first and demonstrated its power to me by wiping out my crew. Only I survived. He then, opened my eyes, everything became clear to me! He was impressed with my survivability, so he took me to Porre and showed me everything they had accomplished. It was amazing! Like nothing I had ever seen! I realized that Guardia must relinquish control for progression to continue!"

Crono was aghast, "I could have changed that, dad! We have Lucca! Her ideas could change the whole world!"

Caelus scoffed, "The rants of that mad woman? I suppose she had the right ideas, but she was unstable! She even aimed her gun at me after these two Chorusians attacked! I wanted to talk, but she just kept firing!"

"Dad..., what do you get out of all of this? What would mom say?" Crono said trying to hold back his frustration.

"A new life son...," Caelus replied flatly. "You and Marle can come with me and your mother. Porre is luxurious! We can make a new life there. You and Marle can live as a normal married couple without the burden of running a kingdom! Porre isn't a kingdom, its all military men, like me! ...And like you..., son. You belong on the field of battle, my boy, not a throne to let your skills rot and your body grow soft!"

Suddenly, the cloaked man stepped forward, "That's enough Caelus," he muttered, the sound of his voice indicated his elderly status. "I must have a few words with these people, he said as he revealed his face. The man had long white hair with a mustache. His face wrinkled like beef jerky and he missed a few teeth. He wore a familiar leather eye patch over his right eye.

He smiled wickedly at both Crono and Marle and they both went pale as they realized who the man was. "DALTON?!" they said in unison.

"...But General Dalton, I have this under control...," said Caelus.

"Stand down Caelus, you don't know my own dealings with these cretins!" Dalton said angrily.

"Dalton, you slime ball!" Crono shouted as he approached the downed bodies of his friends.

Dalton laughed and wheezed as he did so, "After fifty years of painstaking research and planning I was able to elevate a nation. Not into the sky mind you, but enough to destroy everything you pests loved! These two lousy treasure hunter's nearly destroyed my plans by sneaking around like they do. Although, I have to say, I'm impressed they managed to survive our last encounter!" he claimed with a frown.

Ty and Tomo awoke and set their sights on Dalton. Ty held his shoulder in pain, "So you're the creep who tossed us into that void?"

"Yes, although you should have been lost deep in the darkness beyond time, it seems you two are more resourceful than I thought," Dalton said.

"Alright old man, where's the Frozen Flame?!" Ty said demandingly.

"With me obviously, where it should be!" he growled. "The Frozen Flame is my key to immortality! Something I should have had thousands of years ago! Now my revenge is nearly complete!" he said taking out a bloodied glowing broadsword.

Marle noticed the blade, "The Grandleon?! What are you-!? She shouted as Dalton rose the tainted blade above the King. The King gave Marle an expression of love and of sorrow as her face drained of blood and went cold. The cold Grandleon was brought down and the King's now reddened crown fell to the ground. Marle screamed as tears flooded from her eyes. Dalton's laughter could be heard rising over Marle's cries of despair, the bloodstained Grandelon now glowing a sickly shade of purple like a heartbeat.

Dalton planted the blade in the King's now lifeless body. "Alright, 'now' my revenge is complete!"

Caelus broke into a cold sweat, "General Dalton, was such a thing necessary?!"

Dalton took an object from his cloak. It was the Frozen Flame in its compact state. "And now, for IMMORTALITY! Come Caelus, join me in my jubilation!" said Dalton as he activated the Flame. The Frozen Flame was now in the spotlight of the room. It opened up revealing its 'flame' like appearance with nasty alien looking eyes set deep into its center. The Flame flashed and Caelus was enveloped in a sickly light.

"Yes sir..., General Dalton... sir," said Caelus, his brainwashing grown worse.

"Now, you'll all feel my wrath as I become one with the Frozen Flame!" Dalton shouted as he bathed in the energies the artifact emanated. The Flame shined brightly as a flash of light enveloped the entire room. Crono and his friends were then levitated into the air and in a brief moment they were sucked into a massive Gate, not unlike the time when Magus summoned Lavos to his lair. After it had ended, only the King's body lay lifeless with the Grandleon slowly turning red and its blade transforming into a demonic shape thanks to the energy from the Flame.

*?*

Crono opened his eyes and felt sick to his stomach. He sat up slowly, only to feel sicker. His skin crawled as if it were recovering from being numb. He found himself in a strange place that yet seemed familiar to him. The gothic decor and endless void beyond it he recognized, "Is this..., The End of Time?" he said quietly. "It looks larger than before... I wonder if Gaspar did some redecorating..."

Crono rose to his feet and felt his stomach churn with queasiness. He felt the urge to vomit, but held it back. He began to walk the thin bridges looking for his wife and friends. His path was lit by lamps and the bridges and square shaped 'rooms' were lined safely with bronzed gothic style fences. He came to a room and someone lay on the ground moaning. It was Marle, "Marle! I'm here sweetie!" Crono rushed to her side and gently held her in his arms as she struggled to open her eyes.

"Crono...?" she mumbled as she adjusted her eyes. She looked around with very little emotion other than agony from the ordeal she had suffered. "Are we... dead...? This place... it looks like... The End of Time...?" she muttered as Crono helped her to her feet.

"It seems like it. Let's see if we can find Gaspar," Crono said urgently.

It wasn't long before Crono came to a familiar room where an elderly man with a grey mustache and beard and dressed in a brown trench coat and bowler hat came into view. He leaned against a lamp post at the center of the room sleeping while holding himself up with a cane. Crono smiled as he approached and the old man awoke with the pop of a bubble from his nose.

"Ah, Crono, Marle, I was wondering when you would show up," said the Old Man. It's a pleasure to see you again, considering the circumstances. I see you brought some new friends with you as well as old. Not to worry, I patched them up, but they are still weak. They're resting in the room opposite of Spekkio's," he explained with a gentle grin.

Crono turned to Marle, "Marle, would you like to check up on them and get some rest? I'll talk to Gaspar for a moment," he said as Marle silently agreed. Marle left Crono's side sad and still in shock to rest.

Crono then turned to Gaspar whose gentle smile turned to one of grief. "It looks like a terrible fate has befallen you your majesty...," he said.

"Yeah, Dalton finally got back at us...," Crono said with his gaze downcast.

"He may be eccentric, but he was the General of Zeal for a reason," Gaspar pointed out.

"My dad was brainwashed by Dalton, what am I supposed to do now?" Crono giggled with grief as he looked into the endless blank sky. Then something came to mind, "Gaspar, what is this Frozen Flame?"

Gaspar's eyes widened as his eyes gave way to difficult thoughts going through his mind. "It's a long story," he said trying to wet his mouth. "Well, the Frozen Flame was an object that was found during the Ice Age. It was discovered by some of the earliest humans and it granted them magic. It was kept by the ancestors of Zeal until it became something kept by the royal family themselves."

"So Ty was right! It was found during the Ice Age!" Crono said praising Ty's deduction.

"However, we came to discover the... truth about it...," said Gaspar uneasily. "The Frozen Flame..., is a part of Lavos..."

Crono's eyes widened as he was dumbstruck, "Lavos...?!" he mumbled.

Gaspar took a deep breath and continued, "It's discovery led us to discover Lavos, and it was eventually placed into the Mammon Machine as its core, so we could siphon energy from Lavos. Which led us to the Ocean Palace Disaster... That's pretty much all I know about it. Melchior and Belthasar know more though," he finished.

"But, I thought we destroyed all of Lavos!" Crono said frustrated.

"I was hoping the Flame would be destroyed along with Lavos, but I guess I was hoping for too much," sighed Gaspar. "It was lost after Zeal fell, falling into the sea. I'm not sure what became of it after that though..."

"So that's why Dalton wanted it, he was after what Queen Zeal had. It's power," Crono deduced.

Gaspar sighed, "It would appear so. That stunt he just pulled overstretched the limits of time."

"What do you mean?" Crono asked curiously.

"Hmm, as it is right now, it's a long story, why don't you get some rest and explain to your new friends about your ordeal with time travel. Then, when your all rested up, I'll fill you in on what exactly Dalton just did."

"Maybe your right, I'm so exhausted I can barely stand," Crono said ready to pass out.

Crono retreated to the new addition for some sleep, while Gaspar stood quietly under his lamp post and he cast his gaze upon the ground, "Good night my boy, I really hope we can fix this one..." he thought as he drifted back off to sleep.

*End of Act 2*


	10. Act 3 - Ch10: Reminiscence

Chrono Corruption

ACT 3: Origin of the Flame

Chapter 10: Reminiscence

*End of Time*

Lucca stood gazing sorrowfully over the gothic fences into the abyss. Meanwhile, Marle and Crono comforted one another in the resting chamber by themselves. Ty and Tomo sat around lazing about, their calm mood shattered by the fall of a kingdom.

"Say...," started Lucca still gazing into the abyss. Ty and Tomo turned to her, "I think this may be a good time to tell you everything that has happened with me and my friends."

Ty leaned up against the fence and Tomo sat down quietly. "Alright, but don't force yourself. I know you've just been through hell," Ty said gently as he crossed his arms.

Lucca's grieving expression turned to a soft smile as she looked up at his peaceful face. She took a deep breath, "Well, it began five years ago at the Millennial Fair as we were celebrating our 1000th year reign. I always loved inventing things for... personal reasons. I invented this new device I called, the 'Telepod'. It was a machine that could take any object or even a person onto a pad and transfer them to another pad far away at light speed. I knew it was well ahead of its time, but it ended up working when my childhood friend, Crono, took the test. He brought along Marle and that's when we first met, although at the time we didn't realize she was the Princess. Well, she wanted to try the Telepod and when she stepped aboard the pendant she wears around her neck reacted to the machine and a portal I called a 'Gate' formed, sucking her inside."

"All this started because of your invention then?" Ty asked curiously.

"That's what I thought initially," Lucca replied. "But, Crono was unable to sit by and watch so when he went through to go get her. I told him I would soon follow once I figured out what happened. I quickly figured out how to make a 'Gate Key' that could open these Gates at the touch of a button. I followed Crono as soon as I did and it turned out we ended up in the Middle Ages around 600 A.D. During the war between Guardia and the Fiendlord Magus. When Marle first appeared there she was taken in and the people believed she was the missing Princess of their age. The truth was, Marle vanished into thin air because her ancestor was still captured and her life threatened. So, we searched around and found ourselves at the Manolia Cathedral. In our time there was no Manolia Town, like there is after we changed things. After we entered the cathedral we were ambushed and promptly saved by a knight who had been transformed into a humanoid frog by the Fiendlord. We sought his help and it turned out that a Yakra monster was impersonating the Chancellor to undermine the Kingdom. We beat the Yakra and freed everyone. With that we thought our little paranormal experience was over. We returned to our own time and let history play out as it should have."

"Wow, so you guys inspired the creation of Manolia Town? That's so cool!" Tomo said shaking with excitement.

"Huh, and that's also where we first met," Ty reminisced.

"Yep, funny how life works out sometimes," Lucca chuckled. "Anyway, after we got back, I went back home and told Crono to 'be a gentlemen' and escort Princess Nadia back to the castle. Little did we know, our actions in the past fueled a grudge and the Yakra took the Chancellor in our time as well. As such, Crono was arrested for abducting the Princess, although we didn't know it was a Yakra at the time. After three days, Crono and I broke out of the castle with Marle and fled into the forest where we found another Gate. We took the Gate as a means of escape. As it turned out, the Gate spit us out into the far Future of about 1300 years later. What we found was horrifying," Lucca cringed as she recalled the Future.

"That bad, huh?" Ty asked rhetorically.

"The Apocalypse actually. There was nothing left of our world," Lucca said solemnly.

Ty and Tomo were surprised, "What?! The end? That's what you found?" Tomo said astonished.

"Yep, as we were looking for a way back home, we found out on a computer that the world was destroyed by a parasitic life form called, 'Lavos' and it rose from the depths of the planet on the year 1999 to end the world. There were only a few humans left and they were dying quickly. So we did the only thing we could think of, save the world. However, before we were able to leave the desolate Future we got the help from a humanoid robot we simply called, 'Robo'. Having nothing left, it decided to come with us on our quest to save the Future."

"Cool, a humanoid robot joined up with you guys?" Ty asked with a grin.

"Yeah, he was always really sweet for a machine," Lucca blushed. "As I was saying, we left the Future with the four of us and ended up here for the first time. We got our Magic from the 'Master of War', a spirit named, Spekkio in the room behind Gaspar. After receiving some tutelage we decided to head back home through open Gates here at the End of Time. We took a trip back home and found ourselves in the town of Medina, in someone's closet... At the time they worshiped Magus and hated humans."

"What, seriously?!" Tomo said with shock. "I've never known them to hate humans!"

"You bet, we left Medina and found an elderly man name Melchior and as it turns out, he became a big part of the puzzle later. We left the Medinian continent through the Heckran Cave where we learned that Magus was supposed to have summoned Lavos during the old war. So, we set our sights on the Middle Ages to confront him."

"Just how did you do that?" Ty began. "You couldn't have simply walked up to his door to say, 'Hello, we are new to the neighborhood! Can I ask you a question about world destroying parasites?'"

"You're absolutely right," Lucca said as she adjusted her glasses. "We had to fight our way across the Zenan Bridge to buy the Guardian forces time to recover. With Magic, it was much easier than you'd think. We even managed to fight off Magus's General Vinnegar and force him to retreat. After that we had to convince our froggie friend from before to help out. As people kept saying the 'Legendary Hero' has appeared to slay Magus and save them. However, it turned out to be a kid named Tata, who held onto an object called the 'Hero's Medal'. Which originally belonged to Frog. The squirt told us that at the top of Mt. Denadoro there was a legendary sword called the Grandleon stashed in a cave that could kill Magus."

"So, you're the ones who found the thing!" Tomo said with realization. No wonder we could never find the blade!"

"Yeah, we must have turned Denadoro upside down looking for that stupid sword," Ty mused with a chuckle.

Lucca scratched her cheek in embarrassment, "Well, when we found it, it was broken. We found just the blade itself and no hilt. Apparently, the sword had two living spirits within it. They manifested themselves in the shape of two small identical boys. Although they changed into a more monstrous form when we fought them for the right to earn the blade. Even after we retrieved it Frog was still not convinced to join our cause as the sword was deemed a lost cause. He still had the hilt of the sword in his house and we found a name on it. It read, 'Melchior'."

Ty and Tomo were stunned, "So that strange old hermit forged the blade?" Ty asked puzzled.

"How?" Tomo asked confused.

"It turns out he was caught in a time traveling disaster, but I'll get to that in a moment," Lucca explained. "Anyway, he told us that the Grandleon was made of an ancient mineral called, 'Dreamstone' and that it can't be found anymore. I'm sure the artifacts you guys have are made from it. So, we came back here to ask Gaspar for help. With his help, we traveled back to the distant past, like I'm talking 'Prehistory' far."

"Oh, like with dinosaurs and stuff?!" Tomo asked amazed.

"Not just dinosaurs, but a race of intelligent Reptites that fought our species for dominance!"

Ty nearly jumped from his position, "Ha, I knew it! There WAS sentient race of reptiles that were different from the regular saurians!"

"Indeed, they were led by a female named, Azala," Lucca started. "This is where we met an energetic cave woman named, Ayla and she was the strongest woman we've ever seen! You kinda remind me a little of her Tomo. I wonder if she could have used Magic, would it be Earth? Then again, she can just throw boulders, so she doesn't really need magic!" Lucca chuckled.

"Wow, she's stronger than me?! I don't think I've met a woman yet who could topple my strength!" Tomo said excited.

Ty almost seemed frightened, "Whoa..."

Lucca cleared her throat, "As it were, her power made her the leader of their village, named 'Ioka'. She also held onto the Dreamstone which was a sign of power then. Crono had to beat her in a drinking contest although the stuff was alcoholic and we all passed out after Crono won. As she said, 'sleep like stone'. Then when the morning came we found that the Reptites had taken our Gate Key and she offered to help us go over to their hideout and rob the place. Needless to say, we did just that and got our stuff back. We left and Ayla stayed home."

Tomo grinned and slapped her stomach, "I bet I can beat her in an eating contest!"

"I really don't think anybody can beat you there Tomo," Ty said with a chuckle.

"Once we got back to Melchior, I assisted him in the repairs," Lucca continued. "We then took the sword back to Frog, now revealing his name to be, 'Glenn' and that he was the squire to the legendary Cyrus. He joined us permanently from that point forward."

"Wait, he was the squire to Cyrus?!" Ty said with shock. "The history texts claim he was killed along with Cyrus by Magus. Oh, wait, I guess that's where the Frog form came from..."

"Yeah, many history books claim that the Frog knight who beat the Fiendlord was a Fiend that defected and formed a small alliance with a few people... that... went after... the Fiendlord. They all vanished after that...," Tomo said with a startling revelation.

"We did all this stuff under the table, so as not to alarm the general common people. So much of what we did wouldn't have been known to more than a hand full of people," Lucca stated. "It's better that way. Either way, Glenn used the Grandleon to cut the Magic Mountain in half, and reveal the secret place the Fiends would invade from. We traveled on through and made it to Magus's Castle. We fought long and hard through each of Magus's cronies until we finally were able to confront the wizard himself. The Grandleon was of great use as it weakened Magus enough for us to hurt him. We didn't kill him however, as when we first arrived at his chamber he was performing some ritual to summon Lavos. After we smacked him around he lost control and awakened Lavos for a brief moment. He claimed it was for revenge as he was hoping to use all that he had learned from the Fiends to destroy Lavos. He never created it and only used the war to cover his trail. Lavos opened up a massive Gate with a blood curdling scream and we all got blasted back to Prehistory, save for Magus."

Ty laughed, "If I hadn't time traveled myself before hearing any of this I would brand you a crazy person, walk away, then think about how some of the artifacts I found in my life actually now make more sense, then probably come back and hear more."

"Yeah, this is some history lesson! It's much different then what school taught us!" Tomo said scratching her head.

"Well, as it turns out, Lavos was extraterrestrial and it fell to the planet from space as a comet in Prehistory," Lucca went on. "When we appeared back in Prehistory, unconscious, Ayla found us and brought us back to the village. When we woke up, the Reptites had attacked the neighboring village of Laruba and kidnapped its people. This time we had to go the Reptites stronghold, the Tyranno Lair. So Ayla got us a ride on some Pterodactyls and we raided the place. We confronted Azala and her new secret weapon, the Black Tyranno, and whooped her. We noticed the red star in the sky and Ayla interpreted Lavos's name as 'La, meaning Fire and Vos, meaning Big. We escaped and Lavos fell to the planet's surface right smack dab onto the Lair and pushed it underground. That's actually where we found the Rainbow Shell later, but I tell you more on that another time. Lavos also left a Gate behind in the crater as it dug its way underground at a hasty rate. So we entered it..."

Ty breathed deeply, "Wow, so that ancient comet was actually a living creature... Who knew..."

Tomo perked up, "That explains a lot really. The planet's tectonic movement, the formation of Rainbow Shells, the nail in the coffin for the Reptites..."

"Well anyway, we ended up in the age of Antiquity and this is where the story gets even weirder for you," Lucca began as she cleared her throat. "We ended up at the tail end of the Ice Age where the human beings somehow cultivated magic. Some could use it, while others could not. The ones that could called themselves, Enlightened Ones and the ones that couldn't were called, the Earthbound Ones. The Enlightened Ones, elevated their cities into the skies while the Earthbound stayed in caves."

Ty nearly lost himself in a moment of confusion, "So they really did, huh?! They really had the cities floating in the sky?! Well I'll be, the conspirators would love this to death!"

"That's incredible, the artifacts pan out too!" Tomo claimed.

"Yeah, and I'll bet that's where my Cloud Key and your Crystal Hourglass come from!" Ty deduced.

"Exactly, your artifacts are made from Dreamstone and set in them are jewels made from the Sunstone. A power source the ancient Zealians used to help them cast magic. Just like you. As we traversed this strange time period. We found that this is where Magus was originally from. He was never from the Middle Ages to start with. Queen Zeal, the crazy women in charge, was his mother and she went a little bat-squeak insane from the grief of losing her husband some time ago. Apparently, these Enlightened Ones, became aware of Lavos somehow and she lusted after its raw power. She did so much that, she enslaved the Earthbound Ones of the village of Algetty to construct an Undersea Palace and bring her wicked Mammon Machine closer to Lavos so she could siphon its power. Unfortunately, this was done by her daughter, a poor girl named Schala, who is the original owner of Marle's Pendant. She could control the machine, but it was hard on her. This is also the magical time period where we met Dalton, the asshole responsible for everything that's happened just now. Schala tried to escape her unwilling duty only for Dalton to show up and take her away as well as seal the Gate we used to come to that era."

"Aaaand just like that I have a whole new hatred for this guy," Ty said as he pinched the bridge of his nose and breathed deeply.

"So, why didn't you bash his head in then and there?" Tomo asked. "Surely, if this Schala girl was the only person who could control that Mammon thingie he would have been in deep crap if he would have killed her, wouldn't he?"

Lucca broke out in a cold sweat, "I guess we were just thinking about Schala's safety at the time. Not the best decision we made, not gonna lie. Really though, we came back to Gaspar here and he told us that a friend of his had a time machine that he was working on. We managed to find that in the Future hidden away by a guy named Belthasar, who at the time transferred his memories into a mechanical Nu. He instructed us on how to use the 'Wings of Time' as he called it, although it had no wings at the time. We then used the time machine we now called, Epoch to get back to Antiquity and follow the Queen to her Ocean Palace of doom and well..., that's where things went a little sour for us," she swallowed hard as her head drooped.

"What happened...?" asked Ty, raising a brow.

"An incident I call, 'The Ocean Palace Disaster'," Lucca explained. "We had some good control on our quest up until this point. When we arrived, it was too late, the Queen had summon Lavos and it caused quite a stir. This is when Magus, then as a boy called, Janus, Melchior, who we rescued from imprisonment by Queen Zeal, Belthasar and Gaspar, were all sent to different time periods thanks to Lavos opening artificial Gates."

"What?! That old goober over there is some old wise man from Antiquity?!" Ty said in shock.

Tomo seemed overwhelmed, "The hell! This incident changed our world immensely! I mean it's probably second to Lavos actually arriving, but still!"

"That's not the worst of it," Lucca continued as she grew saddened. "This is where we fought Lavos for the first time and it turns out Magus was masquerading as a Prophet to the Queen the whole time. He knew the events that were coming and managed to impress his mother without her knowing it. So she took his advice. But it was here we all felt Lavos's true strength. This..., is where Crono died..."

"Come again? That guy with the red hair, the one that I sparred with, died?!" Ty asked completely puzzled. Tomo was at a loss for words.

"Yes, completely obliterated..." Lucca said holding back tears from the painful memory. "Janus, Magus as a boy, told us that one among us will perish and it happened."

"Um, question, how did you get Crono back if he died?" Tomo asked in confusion.

"Well, after our severe loss to the beast, Schala sacrificed herself to send us to safety and the Ocean Palace became a floating palace called the Black Omen. It persisted throughout the ages. Distraught, we found Magus and managed to convince him to join us instead of fighting as we weren't in the mood for obvious reasons. However, he told us that Gaspar knew how to bring people back as long as the conditions were right."

"Conditions?" Ty said.

"Yeah, after another altercation with that fool Dalton, who we sent into some portal after clobbering, we now had wings on the Epoch thanks to his meddling," Lucca started. "We came to Gaspar who offered us an invention called a Time Egg that he claimed could bend time as long as something was important enough to warrant it. Like a real egg, it could hatch into something beautiful, or be scrambled. He sent us to that wily Norstein Bekkler, so we could get a Doppel Doll of Crono from him. We then took said doll to the Future where we scaled a nasty mountain that was actually Lavos with just a ton debris on it. We got to the peak and used the Time Egg powered with Marle's pendant and at first it seemed like we messed up, but our prayers were heard. We entered a frozen moment in time where we exchanged Crono, just before he died, with the Doppel Doll and brought him back to us."

Ty began to laugh, "No wonder he was so tough, bastard actually cheated death!"

"That's so cool!" Tomo cheered.

"After being reunited, we just sort of prepared ourselves for the inevitable fight with Lavos. We harnessed the strength of the planet's resources and came to terms with our own personal problems and eventually, we brought down the Black Omen, Queen Zeal and finally, Lavos, or so we thought. Then we celebrated with the Moonlight Parade."

Ty sighed as he threw his head back, "Wow, that's some story. If I hadn't traveled through time myself, I would think it were all a science fiction novel or a fairy tale you just told me. Just one problem though, where did it all go wrong? This Dalton guy I mean."

Lucca sighed as she stared out into the emptiness, "That's what I'm trying to figure out. I need to know what this Frozen Flame is and how Dalton ties in with it. That's why we're going to need your guys' help," Lucca stated.

"Well, we can't just go home after all we seen here, so where do we go from here?" Ty asked progressively.

Gaspar cleared his throat, "I believe it's not 'where' you go, but 'when'," he chuckled.

The door to the rest area opened and Crono and Marle stepped out. Marle wore a cold expression on her face, her eyes reddened from crying, but she was much calmer now.

Crono was also very stoic with not much expression on his face. "Ah, I know you've been through hell, but we must act before Dalton learns more about the Frozen Flame," Gaspar said as he turned to Crono.

Crono sighed as he regained his composure, "Wait, we still have time to get Dalton? What more does he have to learn about it?"

"If Dalton learns of its true power, he can rewrite all of history to his liking," Gaspar said as he stroked his mustache.

Everyone broke out into a cold sweat, "He can... rewrite all of history?" Tomo said fearfully.

"An unstable nut job like him would bring hell to this world!" Ty warned.

"No need to tell us that! We already know!" Lucca said in frustration.

Marle clenched her fists, "We should have killed him when we took back the Epoch...," she said, her voice shaking.

"It's alright Marle, we can fix this. I don't know how just yet, but we will!" Crono reassured confidently. She smiled at him weakly.

"Unfortunately, I know next to nothing about the Flame," Gaspar said with a sigh. Everyone moaned, "However, I do know how to guide you to someone who will help you. Ty, where did you and Tomo first come into contact with the Frozen Flame?" he asked.

"It was at the bottom of the EL Nido Sea in some kind of futuristic complex," Ty explained cleanly.

"Well then, there you have it," Gaspar started with inspiration. "You have to make your way to the distant Future and find out who discovered the Frozen Flame originally. Unfortunately, there isn't a Gate open at this time that will lead you there. You will have to make some stops across time to find a Gate that will take you there."

Crono, excited and revitalized began to rally everyone, "Alright, since only three people at a time can go through a Gate whose with me?" he said establishing leadership.

Marle placed her hand on her husband's shoulder, "Take Ty and Tomo with you, I want to stay behind with Lucca and train. You were right about us needing to polish our skills and make new ones. Plus, Ty and Tomo know much more about history and geography, so they can help you out more right now," she explained solemnly. She then approached Lucca, "Come on Lucca, we need to train and rethink our skills!" she said perking up a little.

Lucca adjusted her glasses, "Very well, I've been meaning to try out some new things! If Dalton can learn some new tricks then it should be simple for us!"

Marle gained a serious expression on her face, "The last thing Dalton will see before he dies is my arrow piercing his heart."

Gaspar cleared his throat, "Well then, I have good news to share with you if it's about training. You remember the Bucket that took you to the Apocalypse before? Well, it's now a Gate to a place I like to call, 'The Prison of Time'."

"The Prison of Time?" Crono asked with intrigue.

"Yes, I call it this because it is a phenomenon that gathers bits and pieces of lost time streams, " Gaspar explained. "There you can fight monsters from all across space-time! So if you need a good work out the that's the best place to do it!"

"Cool!" Lucca said as she approached Crono. She handed him the Gate Key, "Here Crono, you know how this works! Just exchange one of us if you need someone or just want to say hi," she giggled.

Crono took the Gate Key and stored it safely away, "Okay, you two be careful down there!" he said with concern.

Marle and Lucca went to the corner of the room and gazed into the bucket. It felt as though space and time were bending around them and drawing them inward. "The monster inside will explain in a little more detail!" said Gaspar as Marle and Lucca teleported with a bright flash of light.

*The Prison of Time*

Marle and Lucca appeared in what seemed to be an extension of the End of Time. There was nothing but a large rectangular room with a street lamp at the center and a strange blob like creature standing beneath it. It was blue in color and had a rather empty expression on its face with a wide grin. Marle and Lucca approached the creature, "Hi, you're new! Allow me to introduce you to the Prison of Time! This is a place where you can witness battles of the Past, Present or Future! If you step into the pillars of light back there where you came in at you'll be transported to a battle field where you can fight monsters you may have missed or some you may have never seen before!" the creature explained in a peppy tone.

Marle faced Lucca, "Let's do it, we have to get stronger!" she said as Lucca nodded affirmatively.

"Alrighty then, down into the Prison you go! When you get tired I'll take you back here to rest!" said the blob monster as it transported them.

*End of Time*

Gaspar turned to Crono, "Say, before you go ripping through time again, why not pay the back room a visit?" he urged.

Crono nodded and took Ty and Tomo with him. He entered the door and it took them to a perfectly square room where a tall red blob-like creature stood. It had two bulging yellow eyes and a wide smile that made it look rather humorous. It also had four small ball like appendages at its base.

Crono approached with a wave and a smile, "Hey Spekkio, boy you sure look weaker than last time I saw you! Have I really let myself go that much?"

The creature responded with a comical tone of voice, "Hey, spike-top you know the rule! If I look weak, you are weak! If I appear strong, you are strong! So what brings you all the way out here?"

"What is this monster?" Tomo asked curiously.

"I thought it was the Quadffid's favorite prey there for a second!" Ty said surprised. "Then it spoke...!"

Crono faulted, "What, so I'm essentially as weak as prey for a carnivorous plant?!"

"And just who are these two?" Spekkio asked with a widening grin. "A tall lean guy and a short chubby girl? I would have given them Magic, but it seems like you made friends with an anomaly! They have powers even I wasn't aware of."

"Yeah, about that," Crono started. "I thought you said the universe and by extension everything was built off of four elements, yet these two add two more to the design. How does that work exactly?"

"That's why it's an 'anomaly' kid! Even I don't really know! But since they laid eyes on me, I can already feel myself adapting. If I were to hypothesize, some force broke down the elements further and in some ways that makes things more 'stable' as it were. Who knows, perhaps the universe or a Godly prank is at work, but either way we're still existing, so the very fabrics of time and space seem to account for them!" Spekkio theorized ecstatically.

"So in other words, we just discovered something 'new' then?" Crono started. "Meh, kind of underwhelming when you think about it, but it makes sense!"

"Any who, because of this I can't really teach them anything or give them Magic since they seem to already be in possession of it!" Spekkio elaborated. "However, because their Magic works differently than your 'Innate' kind it has a few differing properties. As you can already tell it requires a catalyst to activate. It would seem that these two types of Magic have not been fully developed, or something to that effect. Heck, for all I know these two have Magic that's from a different plane of existence altogether! How exciting!"

"So that means we're special or something?" Ty asked still not fully grasping the subject.

"I know I'm special, my dad told me so!" Tomo said with a cheeky grin.

"How about you guys show me this Magic first hand? If you do I'll give you a present!" Spekkio claimed.

Crono nodded as he turned to them, "Spekkio is a 'Spirit' guys, so physical strikes won't work on him! Just use your Magic on him!"

"I kinda figured that was the case!" Ty said as he distanced himself. He took his stance and his body was enveloped in a green luminescent air. He aimed his palm at Spekkio, who smiled in excitement, "Wind Spiral!" he announced as the razor sharp tornado barreled towards Spekkio. Spekkio took the hit with no resistance and it caused as much damage as one would anticipate.

Tomo took her stance as well, her body enveloped by a yellow light that seeped through magical cracks in the ground, "Earth Rumble!" she shouted as Spekkio was shook up by a powerful trail of rocks.

"Hee, hee, hee!" rose Spekkio, laughing. "You guys are a riot! I love it! Here you can take this!" he said as he gave Crono a rainbow colored rock via telekinesis. "That Rainbow Rock has my spirit attached to it. Take it with you! If you get caught in some kind of scrap and need a trump card, just ask! I'll be able to shower the battlefield with a surprise attack!" he finished as he vanished into thin air. "Remember now, the stronger you are, the stronger my attack will be!"

With that, Crono and the gang left the room and when they shut the door behind them, it vanished as if it had never been there. Gaspar turned to them, "Hey, come here for a second...," he said as Crono did just that. "Well, it looks like the so called 'Master of War's' role has ended here at the End of Time. He's a strange one isn't he? Nevertheless, this is the End of Time and as such, it is unnatural for anything to be here, even us. That to will come to an end some time!" he laughed. "Well now, off you go! Good luck and the Goddess of Fate be with you!"

Crono thanked Gaspar and the trio walked up a small flight of stairs until they reached a square open room with a single pillar of light emanating at the center. "So, where will this Gate take us?" Tomo asked curiously.

"I hope it's in a safe and secluded spot...," Ty said, hiding his nervousness.

Crono gave them a thumbs up, "It'll be fine! Well, you know what they say, nothing ventured, nothing gained!" he said as he activated the Gate Key. The pillar of light seemed to swallow them up in a blinding white light as they vanished.

*?*

The team was ejected from the supernatural Gate and gained their bearings. They found themselves in a very cold cavern with an open mouth that had snow blowing inside from a fierce wind outside. Small torches lit the walls and the howl of the wind can be heard outside. Ty was quick to react, "Gah, it's cold as hell in here!" he said as he began to shiver. "Where are we? The north pole? The south pole?"

"It's not so bad! It could be worse after all. We could have been dumped out into that storm outside!" Tomo said also shivering.

"Easy for you to say! You have extra blubber to keep you warm!" Ty said sarcastically.

"Oh yeah! Hey, I'm no seal!" Tomo said defending herself, but still remaining in her fat form.

"Okay you two, be on the look out for anything that might give us clues as to what era we're in. I've never been here before," Crono said as he looked around. "Maybe there's some people around who can give us some extra clothes!" he said smiling widely as he began to shiver as well.

*End of Chapter*


	11. Act 3 - Ch11: Hot Spot!

Chrono Corruption

ACT 3: Origin of the Flame

Chapter 11: Hot Spot!

*?*

"Sheesh, it sure is cold here!" Ty moaned as he began to dance around a little on his tip toes. "Hey Tomo, poke your head outside and see if you can't figure out where we are."

Tomo turned her gaze to the snowy entrance with a grimace, "Why me?"

"...Because you've got the extra 'padding' that Crono and I don't have!" Ty said growing more urgent.

"Aw, I knew making you go down into that hole in Chronopolis alone would come back to bite me in the butt!" Tomo moaned as she approached the cavern entrance. As she poked her head outside she instantly became colder. "Yikes that's pretty darned cold!" she shrieked.

"So, what do you see?" Ty asked impatiently.

Tomo looked everywhere but could see nothing more than snow in all directions and the howl of the frigid wind. "Hmm, I see snowy fields, snowy mountains and what looks like sheets of ice everywhere! No people in sight!" she said as she ran back inside.

Crono approached a wall torch, "Well, someone's here and it looks like there is writing on the walls. Directions maybe?"

Ty walked up to Crono and ran his fingers across the writing. "Wow, is this... could it be? One of the oldest written languages? It's written from right to left as opposed to left to right, so that means its ancient. I haven't seen this language very often, so it's really old. I wonder, could we be... in the Ice Age?"

"Ice Age...? So this is older than Antiquity?" Crono asked astonished.

"Yeah, that chicken scratch is definitely older than Antiquity!" Tomo said as she examined it as well.

"What year do you suppose it is?" Crono asked suspiciously.

"Hard to tell," Ty started. "Many debate this era of time as well as Prehistory. Solely because there were no calenders at the time. That's why they call it, 'Prehistory'. The Ice Age and the eras before it were never documented or written down. Some say it's millions of years, while others say thousands, but it's too hard to tell for certain. Either way, we are far back in the past, but still later than the age of stone. The common estimate for this era would have to be 3,000,000 B.C. to 300,000 B.C. or something like that."

"Well then, let's see if we can't find some natives shall we?" Crono said as he pointed towards the depths of the cave.

"Agreed, we need to find some equipment that'll warm us up!" Ty suggested.

"Yeah, before we become frozen in time!" Tomo added.

With that, the trio ventured further into the well lit cavern. As they trekked on through, they found that fresh water leaked from the glacier walls making the floor very slippery. It pooled in small alcoves and they noticed small stoneware vases under small springs to catch the water also existed. Fixtures made of wood and bone held laundered leather garments and an occasional fire pit was built on higher grounds. The cave had many winding and twisting turns, but for the most part remained open. Icy creatures sometimes blocked their path. It felt good to fight, the exercise kept their blood flowing. After taking down a small herd of hostile creatures, voices could be heard ahead of them.

"Hey, I think I hear people, let's approached slowly," Ty suggested.

"No sudden movements...!" Tomo added.

They stuck their heads into the passage and witnessed a tribe of people wearing warm clothing that was primarily tan in color with tribal motifs. Fetishes and structures made from wood and stone were littered around the colorful Tipi tents made from animal skins. It looked as though they had stumbled across an ancient tribal village. Many sat around a large fire pit at the center of it all. Crono walked on through and placed his hand up, "Hello!" he said with a big grin on his face.

Instantly, the tribesman took notice of the strangely underdressed travelers. The men rose and grabbed their Scrimshawed spears and knives while the women pulled their children away. Quickly, they were surrounded and they placed their hands up, "Hey, uh, no want fight!" Crono said simply.

"Yeah, we friendly!" Tomo also added with an uneasy smile.

"Is chiefy-wiefy home?" Ty added comically.

An elderly man with a feathered headdress made his way through the crowd using a scrimshawed spear as a walking stick. He squinted his eyes in an analytical fashion. "Who you be?" the elder asked.

"Travelers, from very far away," Tomo said with a cheerful smile.

"Very, very far away...," Ty added with a chuckle.

The old man pondered as he cleared his throat, "You no seem evil. It warm where you from?" he asked with a glint of hope.

"Yeah, it's really warm!" Tomo said.

"You from Temple of Red Star then?" he asked curiously.

Ty's eyes lit up, "Temple of the Red Star...?" he asked. "I've never heard of such a place..."

Crono instantly knew what the temple must honor, but kept to himself for the time being. The village elder seemed relaxed, "Good, that bad place with bad God!" he said with certainty. "Me called, Ahtunowhiho! What you called?"

"I am Crono," spoke Crono with a smile.

"I am Tomo," announced Tomo.

"Me am Ty," said Ty with a chuckle.

"Welcome, my village! We on journey to warm place! You going too?" Chief Ahtunowhiho asked with a smile. "It cold outside. Very cold for long time. Not sure when end. Come, get food, water, warm skins," he said invitingly.

"Nice, even the welcome is a warm one," Ty said with relief.

"People in this era are probably welcome to visitors because there aren't many people to start with. So far, man's biggest enemy has been inhuman things like dinosaurs and the weather," Crono stated with a whisper.

"Fair enough...," Ty said stoically. "Anyway, it's probably imperative we ask a little bit about that Temple of the Red Star place."

"Yeah, but first can we get some grub?" Tomo said with her belly growling.

"That and some new equipment is probably in order as well," Crono added as he eyed the assorted weapons on a rack.

And they did so, the villagers welcomed the strangers with a smile. They mingled well with them and were only met with confusion from some folks while children did not fear them. Many children and young teens were entranced by Ty's height and Tomo's weight. As he was the tallest person around by far and Tomo the heaviest. Crono discovered a craftsman that was fashioning materials outside his Tipi near an open flame.

"Hello, you have Ivory and Furs? Me can make many things!" he said proudly.

Crono took some of the Furs and Ivory out of his bag that came from their skirmishes with the local wildlife and handed him the ludicrous amount of stuff and gold coins to cover it. He also mentioned Marle and Lucca and their belongings. The artisan was ecstatic when he saw the amount of gold coins Crono gave him. He went into his Tipi and told all his workers to start working. "This good I make you plenty things!" he said confidently, like an artist inspired.

As the artisan and his followers worked tirelessly, Crono and the other's ate around the bonfire and shared mildly interesting stories about themselves. They told them like legends so as not to give away anything about time travel. Crono then turned to the elder when things quieted down, "So, what is the Temple of the Red Star? Why is it bad?"

The Chief's face grew cold, "Bad thing from sky fall there long time ago. It bring storms, then floods, then ice. Everything freeze, only strong survive! Evil power flow from Temple. Many fall under spell and worship there. Everything frozen, storm chase us down from forest and mountain. Only place left is planet's belly. It dangerous there, but no place left to go."

"I see," Crono gazed off into space as he heard Ty and Tomo lay down near the fire, bundled in animal skins. "Well, I guess it's time for sleep," he muttered to himself.

*Early the Next Morning*

Crono and his friends awoke to the sound of the villagers chattering. There was some shouting involved which indicated some distress. Ty rolled out of the copious furs, "What's with all that racket?"

"I don't know, but it's annoying," Tomo said as she rubbed her eyes.

"It sounds bad, maybe we should check," Crono said getting to his feet.

They quickly organized themselves as they cautiously approached the chief's Tipi. They could overhear some bits of the conversation. "Where my child, where she go?" a woman said stressfully.

"Me not know!" the chief replied.

"Soothsayer gone too, where he go?" a man asked curiously.

"Me not know either!" the chief elaborated.

Crono turned to Ty and Tomo, "This seems bad, I think we should look for the kid."

"Agreed," Ty followed.

"I'll just bet they are deeper inside the cave. Look over there," she said pointing out another entrance. We didn't come in that way, so I say we start by going that way."

"Then let's get our stuff and get moving," Crono said with urgency as he stopped at the artisan's Tipi.

The artisan called them over, "Hey, have many things for you!" he said with a pile of fur and ivory based equipment laying neatly next to him. He gave Crono his own equipment first, "Me call this 'Wolfrunner' Tunic, Pants and Bandanna. All with scrimshawed Wolfbane Blade! For tall man, 'Sabermaw' Buckskin and Shortpants with Snowblind Goggles and Sabertooth Knives! For big healthy woman, 'Mammoth' Parka, Legwraps and Belt. For other girl, 'Snowshoe' Dress and Ribbon with Condor Bow. For last girl, 'Lynxpaw' Coat and Leggings with Cardinal's Eye Lens and Wishbone Slingshot! Thank you! We create much! You big inspiration!"

Crono collected the things and got dressed, "Ahh, much warmer! Nice sword too!"

Ty was blown away by the lens-less goggles, "A strap made of sinew with two slits carved into some ivory. Nice, these really cut down on the light, like primitive sunglasses! The new duds are nice and warm too even the shorts come with long underwear and shin guards!"

"Eeeh!" Tomo squealed as she hugged herself. "This fuzzy parka is so nice and warm! Even its hood is nice and the belt stretches too! I can even adjust the parka's size with belts!"

Crono thanked the man and he was humbled by Crono's praise. Crono decided to give Lucca and Marle their stuff later as it was important to stat moving. They approached the chief's Tipi once more, "Hey, we'll go look for them for ya!" Crono said strongly over the crowd.

The crowd was stunned as Crono urged Ty and Tomo to follow him. The Chief called out to them as they left the village, "Be safe, big monster live that way!"

*Ice Caverns*

The icy caverns were even more expansive in this direction. The sound of dripping water could no longer be heard as this part of the cave was very cold and no more ice melted. They began to navigate the narrow pathways and slippery slopes of the cavern. "I kinda feel like I'm on a cave tour or something," Ty said, breaking the ice so to speak.

"Yeah, but with no actual tour guide," giggled Tomo.

They got used to fighting the local wildlife that mainly consisted of the same furry, icy creatures from before. Eventually they came to a slippery path that overlooked a frosty pit. Someone was standing on the other side. "Hey, who's there?" Crono called out curiously.

The figure called out, "No come closer strangers!" the male voice said angrily as they vanished into the caves.

"That must be the Soothsayer," Ty deduced.

"Let's get him then!" Tomo urged as she rushed over the slippery bridge of ice. Her weight alone though was enough to make it crack and break underneath her. She fell as it shattered and the bridge turned into a slide for Crono and Ty. "Damn it, Tomo!" Ty cursed as he fell into the pit with them.

Luckily, they fell into some soft snow at the bottom. Tomo moaned as she picked herself up. "Sorry, I forgot to change my figure before we crossed," she said apologetically as she adjusted her body type.

Ty brushed himself off, as did Crono, "Hmm, I really don't think you're that heavy Tomo. That Soothsayer must have done something!" Crono said baffled.

"Well at least there's another way to go down here. Let's hope it leads back up," Ty pointed out.

The party regrouped and entered. They found themselves outside. The wind had died down, but the skies were dark with the morning sun trying to break through the horizon with its orange glow. Crono peered over the edge and found that it was a massive slope that lead into the endless plains of snow. A ridge lead away from where they were that they could follow. They seen another cavern entrance higher up.

They began to carefully scale the ledge of the cliff side, careful not to fall off. Thankfully, they reached the entrance and found themselves in what seemed to be a prehistoric structure. The room was very large and strewn with bones and torn furs. The Soothsayer was now in plain sight at an alter with a crying little girl strapped down to it. He mumbled to the girl, unaware of Crono's party. "You be sacrifice! Make stranger go away!" he continued.

"Please..., no want die!" the girl cried.

"Hey, dipstick!" shouted Ty angrily as he unsheathed his knives. "Let girl go!"

"Yeah, you have no right!" Tomo followed.

"You stranger! Why chief welcome you? You suspicious. Come in warm skins. You come from Temple of Red Star! Only place warm enough for skins like that!" the wrinkled old man accused.

"We don't know what you're talking about!" Crono shot back.

"Silence, that okay, girl just bluff anyway! Me break bridge so you come here! Big monster eat you instead! Then me return to village!" he said thinking he had a foolproof plan.

"Lotta holes in that plan-!" Ty said as he was interrupted by a shaking.

The Soothsayer jumped as he grabbed the girl and ran for cover. A blue Wooly Heckran came from a small den behind the alter. The creature roared as it licked its lips. "Well, that's nostalgic!" Crono said with an odd sense of deja vu.

"You mean like 'box art' nostalgic?" Ty quipped.

"Come again...?" Crono asked with uncertainty.

"I just hope they get my element right..., uh, never mind here it comes!" Ty shouted with a warning.

The creature approached with drooling fangs, hungry for them. Everyone readied themselves as the monster lunged at Crono with its massive claws. Crono dodged and leaped into the air, countering with a sword slash. Ty vanished for but a moment and seen a pair of delightful Moccasins wedged into the spikes of the monster's backside. He pilfered the shoes with a sense of delight, "Nice!" he said to himself as the monster swatted him aside. He tumbled across the icy floor and hit a snow drift near a wall.

"I hope that was worth it ya blockhead!" Tomo said as she bashed the bully's jaw line with her Mammoth Masher.

Ty quickly recovered from the snowdrift, "Hey, if you don't want these fuzzy house shoes then I'll take'em!" he said with a laugh.

"Hey Ty, let's hit this guy with an Aero Whirl!" Crono said with a confident smirk.

"Yeah, sounds good!" Ty said as he summoned up some wind.

Crono's blade absorbed the green spiraling energy and Crono spun around like a flying buzz saw. He cut deep gashes and wounds into the Heckran's body. "Heh, that worked perfectly!" Crono said confidently.

"Hmm, I've never tried Heckran meat before, let alone Wooly Heckran! Let me finish this!" Tomo said as she used her Gastromorph spell. The suffering beast transmutated into a slab of cooked steak. She greedily wolfed it down, "Mmm, a little stringy, but not bad!" she said as a vision passed through her mind.

Ty approached, "What, did you learn something by eating another monster?" he asked curiously.

"Yes, indeed! I learned some kind of Counter-Attack combination!" Tomo smiled.

"You want the Moccasin's or should I take'em?" Ty asked.

While those two spoke, Crono turned his attention to the Soothsayer who was frozen metaphorically in fear. "You from Temple after all! Have strange powers!" he said as he ran away.

The little girl came to Crono with a smile, "You beat monster! You not evil, you angle!"

Crono patted the kid on the head with an uneasy smile, "That aside, we should get you back to your loved ones!" he said changing the subject.

"Okay, me show you way back!" the little girl said with cheer.

*Back at the Village*

The distressed village was overcome with relief at the sight of the girl's return, but the Soothsayer had returned before them to incite trouble. "They monsters from Temple of Red Star! They use strange power, kill great beast!" he accused.

"No, they angel, YOU monster!" the girl shouted in response. "You try feed me to beast, they save me!"

The Chief approached the Soothsayer, "That true Soothsayer? If so, you commit serious crime!"

"It true, he want feed me to big ugly beast and blame on strangers!" the little girl vouched.

"Am I seriously on some sort of trial right now?" Crono asked himself.

Ty interjected, "Hey, don't worry all, we killed the thing! The Soothsayer just got in the way. The Heckran almost ate them both, but we saved them!"

"What are you doing Ty?" Tomo whispered.

"It's called shaming, Tomo. Besides, he did what he did out of fear, not hate. Let's teach him a thing or two!" Ty insisted.

The little girl pulled Crono's pant leg, "What you do? He not nice!"

Crono knelt down and he patted her head with a smile, "It's called 'forgiveness' sweetheart. He did what he did because he was afraid not mean. Now that he knows better, he should be nice... hopefully..."

The Soothsayer was aghast that the strangers didn't rat him out and out of frustration and shame he quietly slipped away from the crowd. The woman from before came to claim her child and hugged her tightly. The Chief came to them, "We go to warm place now, long storm end! You come with us?" he asked hopefully.

"Sure thing!" Crono said with a smile.

And so, the natives packed their belongings and tied them to large tamed Mammoths. The large creature used its trunk to eat some unknown plant life as it paid no mind to the natives things placed on its back. And with that they were off into the plains of snow. Like nomads they went and the followed the instructions of the early Astronomers who read the skies for direction. Crono's party followed near the Chief as he rode the massive Mammoth. "So how long until we reach the place?" Ty asked curiously.

"Should be half day, bad storm last very long time! So close to warmth, but stopped us before we reach!" the Chief said.

Ty slumped in response, "Bummer..."

"So Crono, what did you figure out about the temple?" Tomo asked.

"Well, the equator is definitely the hot spot for the planet! The temple is somewhere along that line but we'll be on our own to look for the place," he explained.

"The equator, huh? I wonder how warm it'll be?" Tomo pondered.

*Nearly a Full Day Passed*

As the day passed, Crono's party began seeing greener areas come through the ice and snow and it began to heat up. Finally, they had reached the equator of the planet and it was strikingly gorgeous. Dandelions grew in green pastures and small animals moved about. While it was far from the prehistoric jungles it had once been, it was still warm and pleasant. After a little while longer, the ground seemed to elevate a bit as the party noticed they were coming to a cliff side. Crono's party approached the cliff and what they witnessed placed them in awe. The steep cliff descended into the ocean below. Four other cliffs similar to the one they were on, loomed over the horizon in the distance. They all seemed to form a circle around an island in the center of the sea that was covered in a lush jungle.

"Wow, could this be... Gaea's Navel, but in the past?" Tomo asked curiously with her jaw dropped.

"I think you may be right Tomo...," Ty said as he tried hard to think about the present day island. "Is that... possible though? I mean, these landmasses must be our continents before they drifted away from one another, right?"

"It must be possible," Crono butted in. "When we were in the Middle Ages, there was a landmass known as the Giant's Claw that was off the northern coast of Chorus. It turned out to be the reptite's base of operations that Lavos landed on. It resurfaced in that era then sank back underwater in our era. This island we see now must have been a nearby mountain. The reptites made their base in the valley that was surrounded by volcanoes and mountains."

"Yeah, but how did this particular landmass get to be farther out then Chorus? El Nido was just an open sea on the planet's equator on our time line. On clear days you could actually see Gaea's Navel from the northern parts of Chorus with a good pair of binoculars," Ty explained.

"What is Gaea's Navel anyway?" Crono asked, his curiosity now peaked.

Tomo cleared her throat, "Gaea's Navel is a very tall plateau that presumably no one has touched since Prehistoric times."

"Even we haven't found a way to get on it. The place is too steep for anyone to climb. The rocks are moist and very smooth. Many have tried, all have failed, some even to their deaths," Ty added gloomily.

"Sounds like an awesome place to visit if we could fly. Anyway, I wonder how it beat the Chorus continent out to sea?" Crono asked rhetorically.

Tomo placed her fist into the palm of her hand, feeling inspired, "Ah, I got it! This Lavos creature came from the stars and smashed into the planet right? And your friend Lucca told us it dug down into the planet right? What if it gave the planet a 'belly' ache and Lavos's power moved some of the landmasses, you know, like how a restless sleeper will end up tangled in their bed sheets?"

Ty seemed impressed and clapped his hands, "I like it, that sounds like a good theory to me."

"That's entirely possible, we did discover that Lavos meddled with the planet. Or maybe just smashing into the world set each landmass on a different course at different speeds. I mean, Lavos is dead now, so these landmasses must be moving of their own accord now. Anyway, let's just get down there and get to that temple."

Then something caught Ty's gaze, "Hey, I just saw something over your shoulder Tomo."

Crono stepped to the side of Tomo, "Hey, it's a Gate! Lucky us!"

Ty walked to Crono's side and placed his hand on his shoulder, "This is good indeed, I think you should return to the End of Time and get Lucca and Marle. After all we don't know what awaits us at the temple."

"You may be right, but what about you two?" Crono asked with obvious concern. "I can't take you back with me to go get them. Time Gates overload when three or more step into them."

Tomo flexed her arm, "Not to worry, if it's okay with you, we'll go on ahead and scout out the place!"

"Tomo's right, so don't worry, we won't start anything without you guys if there's trouble down there," Ty reassured.

"Well okay, if you think you can handle it. I'll be back in a flash!" Crono said as he took the Gate Key in his hand. He approached the Gate and opened it up with the touch of a button. The Gate opened and Crono entered giving a thumbs up as he vanished into the time stream.

"Okay Tomo, let's find a good way to get down," Ty urged.

Tomo covered her brow line with her hand to lessen the bright sunlight, "I see a wooden dam with a scaffolding that leads down right over there between these two 'continents'. Wow, a dam constructed between two continental plates! I never thought I would see such a thing!"

"No kidding...," Ty agreed with a chuckle.

*End of Time*

Crono arrived at the End of Time and rushed to the courtyard where Gaspar was snoozing, "Hey Gaspar!" Crono said loudly as he woke the Guru of Time.

Gaspar sprung awake, "Back so soon, where's the two newbies?"

"They went on ahead, where did you say Marle and Lucca went?" Crono asked while he ran in place.

"The Trash Bin over there has the Time Gate to the Prison of Time," Gaspar stated.

Crono rushed over to the bucket and entered the Gate inside. As he arrived in the Prison of Time he seen Marle and Lucca near the entrance, drenched in sweat and breathing heavily. They both were surprised to see Crono, "Crono what are you doing here?" Marle asked surprised.

"Yeah, where's Ty and Tomo at? Further more, where did that Gate take you?" Lucca began curiously.

"It took us to the Ice Age, before the Kingdom of Zeal. Ty and Tomo went on ahead. They urged me to come get you both, but I'll explain later. Here have some new gear!" Crono said as he handed over their new equipment.

Marle's eyes brightened, "Oh, what pretty furs! I love this ancient bow and arrow. It's all manual!"

Lucca took a close look at her new things, "Are these Lynx pelts? They're very nice, and I haven't used a slingshot like this since I was a kid. They got me into guns, so this is pretty nostalgic for me!"

"Alright, did you two managed to learn any new tricks?" Crono asked eager to see what they learned.

"You'll find out soon enough," Lucca stated. "We can't leave those two stranded in the past. Let's go before something happens."

Crono was disappointed, "Awe, I kinda wanted to see it now though."

"Don't worry sweety, I've been working on my archery skills a lot, so I know you'll be delighted when you see it!" Marle said as she used a single hand to caress Crono's cheek.

Crono smiled, "Well okay then, let's get going!"

*Ice Age*

Crono and his party returned to the Ice Age and the ladies were quite taken by the scenery. "Wow, this is..., breathtaking...!" Lucca said, star struck.

"It's so gorgeous!" Marle said as she gazed down at Gaea's Navel. "Hey, what do you suppose is going on down there? Is someone having a celebration?"

"I'm not sure," Crono said as a familiar voice came up behind him.

The voice belonged to the chief, "You, your friend in trouble! Temple of Red Star begin festival! Your friend captured at dam! They be sacrificed!"

"What?! No!" Crono said horrified.

"Crono what's going on?!" Lucca said, demanding to know. "What's the Temple of the Red Sta-! Oh, I think I know exactly what that is for..."

"Come on then, we can't leave them hanging! Who knows what they'll do to them!" Marle said hurriedly as she began running towards the dam.

"Wait for me!" Crono said, eager to fight.

"Um, thanks!" Lucca said to the chief as she ran after her friends.

And with that, Crono's party headed towards the ancient wood worked damn. When they made it to the dam they began walking across the top of the ancient logs that built it up. "This thing is massive! They must have built it over the years as the continents split apart!" Lucca deduced.

"Look, we can take the scaffolding like structure in front of the dam down to a small boat it looks like," Marle said observantly.

"Good, let's watch our step then, the stairs on this thing don't seem very good!" Crono said with a tone of warning. "I just hope those two are alright..."

The party then began to descend the many flights of rickety stairs and found them to be deserted. They eventually reached the bottom and found themselves on a sandy rise. However, upon arrival, the boat they seen earlier had been taken. "Naturally, the boat's gone...," Lucca said flippantly.

"Hold on, I got this!" Marle said as she approached the water. She clasped her hands together and a cold energy enveloped her. "Ice Blast!" she shouted as a cold energy hit the water creating an ice bridge. "Come on guys, we can cross my icebergs!"

"Way to go darling!" Crono cheered.

"Don't look now, but the welcoming committee is approaching!" Lucca pointed out as jungle warriors began swimming across the water.

Crono unsheathed his sword, "Alright, finally some action!" he said excitedly.

"See, I told you, you would get to see us in action soon!" Lucca said as she loaded her slingshot.

Marle readied her Condor Bow, "That's right, just get a little closer...!"

*End of Chapter*


	12. Act 3 - Ch12: Temple of the Red Star!

Chrono Corruption

ACT 3 : Origin of the Flame

Chapter 12: Temple of the Red Star!

Crono unsheathed his sword, "Alright, finally some action!" he said excitedly.

"See, I told you, you would get to see us in action soon!" Lucca said as she loaded her slingshot.

Marle readied her Condor Bow, "That's right, just get a little closer...!"

As soon as the tribal warrior lifted his spear into the air, Marle unleashed her bone crafted arrow. It whistled as it traveled the air and embedded itself into the warrior's shoulder. He reeled back and fell into the water. The two other warriors climbed the ice that Marle created and the first one received a pelt to the face from Lucca, who shot a marble sized explosive from her tactical slingshot. The red marble burst upon contact and released a strange substance that burned like napalm. Crono defended Marle with his sword before the last warrior could even make it to her.

"See Crono, not bad, huh?" Lucca said as she readied another shot.

"Stand back sweety! Gonna make another berg to stand on!" Marle said taking her stance.

Crono happily obliged as Marle created another iceberg with her magic. The party quickly migrated to the next platform and more warriors drew near. One after another the party fought and dispatched the masked fighters with non lethal blows. Marle then created a third iceberg and the party crossed successfully to it and then to the beach of the island. More warrior's were present to greet them. They were surrounded, but then, as Crono's party began to defend themselves, a loud horn blew and it caught their attention. All while speaking their native tongue, the warriors looked at one another and then promptly retreated into the dense jungle.

Crono sheathed his sword, "Huh, hot date maybe?"

"I somehow doubt it's a date per se, but I think things are about to heat up nonetheless!" Lucca said adjusting her glasses.

"Then let's get up there and cool things off! I can see the temple mount glowing from here!" Marle urged strongly as she put her bow on her back.

With that, the party made haste into the jungle. As they entered the jungle, the party witnessed the scattering of jungle warriors. One in particular, ended up falling into one of their own pitfall traps by mistake. Crono looked back, "Well, that makes things a little more difficult...," he said with a cold sweat.

Lucca sighed, "It's never easy is it?"

"How annoying!" Marle whined.

The party moved on with caution, now aware of the traps. They dodged arrow barrages, avoided pitfalls, fought local wildlife and avoided swinging spiked tree limbs. As they moved through the maze-like jungle pathways, they seen the village at the base of the temple come into full view. Crono quietly pushed aside some heavy foliage, only lowering it when villagers passed by. "See anything Crono?" Lucca asked curiously.

"Yeah, there's a broken wall here we can sneak past. There doesn't seem to be many people here in this little corner," he whispered.

"Good let's hope they haven't sacrificed anyone!" Marle stated nervously.

The party quietly snuck into the village and hid behind a hut just as two women passed by. The party tip-toed around multiple huts until they heard a familiar voice emanating from one of them. "Is that really the strongest poison you got? Oh, you'll have to do better than that if you wanna kill me!" egged on the voice.

Crono and company peered into the hut's open window and what they saw was a comical sight, "Ty?!" the party whispered strongly in unison. Ty was hanging upside down by his feet, strapped to the ceiling. He had many needles across his entire body. A witch doctor of some sort seemed confused.

Lucca pulled back a shot from her slingshot and hit the doctor, he passed out from the searing pain. Ty heard him hit the floor as he was facing the opposite direction. "Hello...?" Ty said trying to take in his surroundings.

"Quick, let's get in there!" Lucca stated urgently.

"Yeah, you go get'im girl!" Marle said with a blush.

"...Shut up Marle, would you?" Lucca said, also a bright shade of crimson.

Crono and the others managed to sneak inside the hut when the two guards made their rounds. Ty slowly swung around to meet them. "Oh, hi guys, you're just in time. I was just about to get myself outta this mess and go get that rambunctious tomboy," said Ty with a calm sarcasm.

"What the heck happened to you?" Crono said with a slight chuckle.

"Tomo..., is what happened if you must know," he started with slight irritation. "She got us bagged when she tried to speak their language back at the dam. She apparently said something that ticked them off. We got surrounded and I felt a rock hit me in the back of the head. Next thing I know, I'm here with my world turned upside down and feeling like a porcupine!" he said as he began taking the needles out of his body.

"What were they doing to you in here? Is this some sort of witch's hut?" Lucca asked as she took in the surroundings.

"Well, I think they were trying to poison me. I recognized some of the toxins they used by their taste. As you know, because of my family's unique biology, I am very resistant to toxins. Even very potent ones..., ack... you know what? Could you get me down from here first, I am getting such a headache!" Ty moaned in frustration as his face turned red.

Crono cut Ty down and he landed in an awkward position, "Oops, sorry about that..."

Ty nonchalantly pulled himself back up, "No worries, but a little warning would have been great... Anyway, their poisons weren't working on me, so now they think I'm some sort of God or Spirit to some effect," Ty said as he tried to walk. His legs gave out and he was brought to his knees. "Strange, I don't feel any negative effects from their poisons, but I can't walk!" he said alarmed.

"Hold on I got you!" Marle said as she chanted and her Aura enveloped Ty.

Ty felt like a soft song played in his mind as a calm warmth filled his body. He rose to his feet, "Ah, I feel better already! Urp, wait hold on!" he said as he rushed over to the window and vomited outside. He then regained his composure, "Okay, now I feel better. That was a pretty strong poison. Let me see something real quick," he continued as he rummaged through the witch's chemicals. He hummed to himself for a moment or two and then came to a conclusion, "Nice one, this Crippling Poison inflames joints and causes muscle weakness. It isn't fatal, but it makes faster targets easier to hit!" he explained as he placed the mixture into his bag. He then wandered over to the witch doctor, who was still unconscious. "Nice choice of ammo Lucca! Sticky and burns like hell! Personally crafted ammo I take it?"

Lucca shot her gaze upward with a proud laugh, "Urm yeah, it's a little something I've been working on...!" she said soaking in the compliment.

"Any who, we should find Tomo. I'm sure she's been selected for 'heart surgery' or something along those lines!" Ty said, sugar coating the ordeal.

"You mean they're gonna sacrifice her?!" Marle said in a fright.

"Looks that way, she usually needs me to bail her out of these situations because she's so brash," Ty informed. "I'll sneak on ahead by myself. It's easier for me to sneak around undetected when I'm on my own."

"So I take it that you want us to be a distraction then?" Crono guessed.

"Oh, that would be really helpful if you did!" Ty replied, wide eyed. "Just be sure to keep your healing magic ready and some Panaceas on hand just in case. They do indeed coat their weapons in heavy poisons as demonstrated here," he continued on. He began to walk out of the hut, but stopped as he seemed to get an idea, "Oh, I just remembered! Speaking of poisons, if you guys want me to apply my toxins to your weapons feel free to ask. I was taught how to share, so don't be shy if you want to add an insurance policy to your strikes!"

"I'll be sure to keep it in mind," Crono replied as he gazed at his sword. "Even if it does feel a tad underhanded," he mumbled.

"Alrighty then, wish me luck!" Ty said as he walked to a window and snuck out.

"I swear, his jolly personality juxtaposed with his ruthless fighting style is a little unsettling," said Lucca shaking her head.

"Oh? And your cold attitude juxta- err, jux, oh crud! I mean your awfully cool headed for someone who was experimenting with different ways to put creatures to 'Sleep' so they'd be easier to shoot at! Not to mention the 'Burns'!" Marle enunciated with a smile.

Lucca cleared her throat, "You and I both know that an immobilized target is easier to hit! Besides, it's no different from you 'Freezing' your targets to the ground!"

Marle simply grinned uneasily with a chuckle. Crono interrupted, "That's enough you two, I see you've been training and that's what matters. Right now, Ty needs a hand and so does Tomo. We gotta see what these people are up to and why they are worshiping..., well you probably guessed already."

Both nodded in agreement as they left the hut. A few of the natives witnessed them and they ran for cover as Jungle Warriors quickly took their places. Lucca sneered, "Well, if Ty wants a distraction, let's give him one! I upgraded my Hypnowave to the Hypnowave Plus! It's 200% more effective!" she announced as she distanced herself from her friends and adjusted the device on her right ear and performed a strange series of hypnotic movements with what resembled a conductors rod. The warriors that closed in on her fainted and were asleep in mere moments.

"Nice one Lucca, that's definitely an improvement over the last version!" Crono praised.

"Yeah, considering the last one almost never worked!" Marle followed as she took a shot.

Lucca gave Marle a cross gaze, "Hey, it was experimental at the time! Give me a break!"

Marle giggled, "Then I guess it's time to show my own technique off! Watch closely Crono sweety, my 'Tricky Arrow's' can do many different things!" she said as she loaded a strange arrow into her bow and pulled back. Upon releasing the arrow it struck the closest warrior and when it hit it burst to cover the warrior in a highly adhesive putty. The warriors shrieked in comical horror as they struggled to escape. Others tried to help him escape, only to get caught in the putty themselves.

"Nice work, Marle! I've always wanted to see you develop your archery skills!" Crono stated. Marle responded.

Lucca smirked, "Well Crono, we've shown you some of our new tricks! How about you show us what you've been working on?"

Crono chuckled, "I thought you'd never ask! Not that you needed to!" He finished as he took a deep breath and held his blade at his side. "Let's clear some of these guys with my improved 'Steel Cyclone'!" he said as he began a spin. Crono performed the supernatural techniques as he normally would until Lucca noticed something different.

"What's up with that spin? It seems like there are more blades than normal," she pondered. Lucca adjusted her glasses and focused her vision, "It is more than one sword!"

When Crono was done with his wild maneuver, the village was devastated. Marle rose from a crouching position, her hands planted in her chest, "Be more careful with that move, sweety! What was that anyway? Wasn't your normal Cyclone move mean enough?"

"Hey, did you just use multiple blades, or was that an illusion?" Lucca asked curiously.

Crono laughed as he scratched the back of his head, "Yep, it was real blades! I made my old Wooden Sword and my dad's Copper Sword levitate and follow my current sword!"

"That's incredible! Your Cyclone is more like a buzz saw that way!" Lucca said impressed.

Crono began to wobble a bit, he became dizzy, "I still gotta practice it, but I should be able to add more blades eventually," he finished as he bent down to catch his breath.

*Meanwhile*

The Temple Shaman and his bodyguards witnessed Crono and his friend's destruction from atop the temple stairs in awe. Tomo lie on a stone alter, bound and gagged with ancient ropes. She angrily growled and moaned. Ty stealthily appeared behind the alter and caught Tomo's attention, spooking her slightly. Ty placed his finger over his lips and shushed her. With quick precision, Ty cut her free. She sat up quietly and pointed behind Ty. Both gazed at a pedestal where none other than the Frozen Flame, in its compact inactive state, stood. Tomo whispered quietly, "What should we do? Should we grab it?" she asked.

Ty whispered in return, "No, let's help Crono and the ladies first!"

"Okay, how are gonna do that?" Tomo whispered anxiously.

"I'll take down the guards and you get the old guy," Ty said strategically. Using his Ghostly Strike, he removed all form of his presence from the area. He sapped the two guards and the old shaman quickly noticed his bulky guards fall like statues at his side. He turned only to see the smiling muscular woman he tried to sacrifice staring him down. He backed up in fear until he hit Ty, who came back out of his stealthy technique.

Ty heard Crono's voice as he led the charge up the stairs of the ziggurat–like structure. Marle and Lucca tailed behind him. "Hey Ty, was that a good enough distraction?!" he laughed excitedly.

Ty shouted back, but didn't remove his gaze from the shaman, "Yeah, that was perfect, thank you!" he said seriously, but with a sense of kindness.

Crono and his friends made it to the top and noticed the Frozen Flame, "Hey, what's the Flame doing here?" Crono asked as he placed his hand over his brow.

"I knew it, this ziggurat was made to worship Lavos!" Lucca said with confirmation.

"Or at least a piece of it!" Marle added.

The shaman fell back onto his rear and scuttled away from the strangers. Choosing to ignore him, Crono approached the Frozen Flame. He blinked a few times as he closely inspected the relic. It then, opened. Crono backed off quickly, spooked, as he drew his sword. "Crono, what did you do?!" Lucca scolded as she readied her shot. Everyone else readied their own weapons as well.

"I didn't do anything!" Crono assured, not taking his eyes off the flame.

Then, it began to glow menacingly with a strange hum accompanying it. A familiar voice emerged with a ghost like apparition. The figure was that of Dalton, "Greetings puny ants! To think you've gone so far back in time just to mess with me!" he laughed eerily.

"Dalton, you monster, just you wait!" Crono threatened.

"Don't you understand fools? I'm immortal now! I am the chosen vessel of the Flame! It's mine no matter where or when you go! And once I master its power, even the flow of time and history will be nothing more than tools to use as I please! I will create a world where the people will worship me forever!" Dalton laughed maniacally.

"We'll see about that!" Crono said as he dashed for the Flame and struck it with his sword, attempting to destroy it. Crono's sword did no damage to the Flame, but something did occur.

The Frozen Flame flashed with a bright red light as the image of Dalton vanished. "What did you do?!" Dalton managed to say before he was completely cut off. The Frozen Flame enveloped the area as well as Crono's party with a familiar bright light. It knocked everyone to the ground as it shot into the sky and dispersed the clouds.

Crono opened his eyes and came out of his stupor like a patient out of anesthesia. His hearing had a slight hum in it that brought him some discomfort. He gazed at his body and seen that his blood veins gleamed with a crimson red color. He freaked out as he got to his feet, his friends in the same condition albeit still on the ground. The Frozen Flame calmed to a slow heart beat like state only giving off light in small pulses.

"Is everyone alright?!" Crono struggled to yell.

Ty was the first to respond, "Ugh, not this again...!" he moaned and gagged.

As Crono's vision cleared up he could here the mystical chants of the old shaman. When he turned his head to the old man, shaking could be heard as a giant man climbed up the temple. The chanting then resonated throughout the village below as it turned into music. The fifteen something foot tall man was rather strange looking. He was missing many human features. His head was large and the facial features chiseled. His bald cranium was even longer than a normal humans and his ears were also large and bore many rings. His eyes were black with red pin pricks of light emanating from them. He had a very muscular build with six digits on each hand and foot. His grey toned skin made him look like a living stone statue. Lastly, he wore a hide loin cloth and carried a large wooden totem pole like it was weightless.

All of Crono's party, now more or less on their feet or at least crouching were in awe. Ty however, was intrigued, "I-it's an actual living 'Giant'! Incredible! He looks just like those big stone heads on an uncharted island we found!" he elaborated.

Tomo was wide eyed as well, "According to legend these Giants are the oldest known 'Fiend' or even possible crossbreeds between humans and fiends!" she added.

"Well, either way, he's here to kill us!" Crono stated as he readied his sword.

The giant rose his totem pole above his head and with a roaring voice, he shouted, "Mamba Jamba, crush!"

"Hey guys, I think his name is Mamba Jamba," Ty said sarcastically.

Mamba Jamba, as he was now called, swung his totem pole down aiming for Ty who was able to dodge by a small margin. Crono seized the moment and dashed forward, lunging in with a sword strike. Mamba Jamba shrugged off the hit as he swatted Crono aside with the back of his hand. Crono picked himself up, "Ow, that hurt, he hits really hard!" he moaned as he rubbed his back.

"That's a fiend for you, resistant to physical damage!" Lucca said as she fired multiple shots and the giant's legs.

"So then let's just use Magic!" Ty shouted. "Come on, Tomo! Wind Spiral!"

"You got it, Earth Rumble!" Tomo followed.

Mamba Jamba quickly noticed and place his totem pole on the ground, sanding tall. The top effigy that resembled a bird and the bottom effigy that resembled a beast opened, their orifices lighting up with flame, devoured the two spells.

Everyone was aghast as the totem pole retaliated with a fire and water spell from the two middle effigies. Ty caught fire and Tomo was trapped in a bubble.

"Help, I'm on fire!" Ty shouted as he ran in circles.

"Stop, drop and roll Ty!" Lucca instructed.

"I can't! I'm on fire!" he shouted back as he bathed himself in one of his own wind spells to blow out the fire. The bubble that encased Tomo snapped and burst with a nasty force. She laid on the ground struggling to regain her hearing.

"So the totem pole acts as a ward against magic?" Marle deduced as she inspected it more closely.

Ty managed to regain his composure, "Whew, good thing these clothes are thick! Yeah, its Shamanism. His totem pole must absorb magic from Water, Fire, Earth and Wind and counter with another type!" he said breathing heavily.

"So that leaves out Light and Shadow!" Crono said excitedly.

"I think I can slow him down a bit!" Ty said, poisons glistening on his daggers. Ty removed his presence and snuck away. Mamba Jamba closed his eyes and seemed to meditate. With blinding speed Mamba Jamba swiped Ty away, revealing his presence. He tumbled away hard, "Ow, what the hell?!" he shouted as he tried to stand.

The party took notice as their eyes widened in fear. Crono called out to him, "Hey, what happened?"

"He knew exactly where I was! I didn't even get a hit in!" Ty confirmed as he adjusted his neck. "He must have strong spiritual powers to notice me like that!"

"That's not good, even I couldn't detect Ty's Ghostly Strike," Crono thought.

"Hold on Ty, let me give it a shot!" Marle said as she loaded a Tricky Arrow. She sot the arrow and the arrow burst into putty that bound Mamba Jamba's foot. He growled in anger as he tried to get his foot free. Ty grinned as he once again performed a Ghostly Strike. This time he struck cleanly. Mamba Jamba's joints began to swell from Ty's poisons.

Mamba Jamba roared in anger and raised the totem pole to smash Ty. Tomo rushed in front of him and took a defensive stance, "Go ahead, try and attack!" she taunted. Tomo took that slam from the totem pole and she squatted as she was struck. She smirked and repelled the attack causing Mamba Jamba to stumble backwards. Tomo then, with blinding speed, counter attacked with heavy hammer swings, "Yes, indeed! Just what I was waiting for!" she said as she finished her barrage.

While Mamba Jamba staggered Lucca activated her Hypnowave Plus, "Nighty-night!" Lucca murmured. The combination between her conduction and hypnotic emission Mamba Jamba fell asleep. "Now Crono! Hit it with all you got!" she urged with tension.

"Alright, my turn!" Crono said as he had collected all the Light magic energy in his body. "Lightning Bolt!" Crono chanted as the energy lifted into the air. A massive bolt of lightning struck Mamba Jamba and he woke up in a rage. "Uh oh...," Crono said with sweat rolling down his cheek.

Mamba Jamba twirled his totem pole and swept it across the party, striking everyone except for Crono, who was able to dodge, but just barely. Ty shouted, "The rogue is down, I repeat, the dashing rogue is down!" he said comically accompanied by a moan.

Mamba Jamba chanted as his body was enveloped in Shadow magic energy. He produced a massive ball of black energy that almost resembled a red moon at its core. The attack struck Crono and he was enveloped in a dark bubble that brought him to his knees, "My body...! Is getting heavier! I feel like I weigh a ton!" he mumbled to himself.

Marle looked on in horror as she reached her hand out to him. "Crono! No, I can't lose you again!" she struggled as Mamba Jamba drew near. Crono rose his head to witness the monstrous man approach his young wife. Crono gnashed his teeth in anger as his blood vessels became prominent on his temples. Mamba Jamba lifted his totem pole vertically with the intent of smashing Marle's head. Marle's eyes widened as she was unable to even swallow out of fear. She closed her eyes... and then... a miracle occurred. The darkness Crono had been enveloped in was disturbed with a war cry and an explosion of golden fiery energy. Mamba Jamba brought the totem pole down only for it to be stopped by a transformed Crono.

Marle opened her eyes and bore witness to her beloved bathed in a fountain of fiery golden light. His red hair had turned the color of molten gold. He held the totem pole with one hand as he gazed toward Marle with reddish gold eyes. His gaze turned to one of concern as he smiled with relief. Crono then repelled Mamba Jamba with ease as he turned to face the fiend. Mamba Jamba was fear stricken. Crono held up his sword to the giant. "I don't know what power this is, but I'm gonna kill you with it," he announced boldly.

The other's also noticed Crono's transformation and were in stricken by its beauty and power. "Woah, incredible...!" Lucca gasped.

"Oh, shiny!" Ty smirked with a weak chuckle.

"He's like a 'Super' self! Is this some kind of 'Limit Break'?" Tomo said as she pushed herself to get on her knees.

Crono gazed coldly at the monstrous giant and rose his sword to the skies above. Particles of light energy began congregating at the blade. With a deep breath, Crono attacked, "Sky Splitting Slash!" he announced as a light speed swing came from Crono's blade. Crono did not take his gaze off his target as a bewildered Mamba Jamba began to bleed from a paper thin bisection. The giant split in half vertically and its corpse hit the temple grounds with a massive crash. The temple Shaman screamed in horror and began running down the stairs in an effort to escape.

The Frozen Flame reacted to the corpse of Mamba Jamba and its pulsing red light reduced his flesh to a flurry of particles it then seemed to consume. "What the hell?" Ty said with an eyebrow raised.

"...Did the Flame just... devour Mamba Jamba?" Tomo asked perplexed.

Lucca adjusted her glasses with a cold sweat, "I... believe so..."

"...Eww, disgusting...!" Marle shrieked.

Dalton's image returned and caught glimpse of the new an improved Crono. "What, what is this power? I must know! Was it from the Flame? If it is, I will have it!" Dalton claimed with a menacing laugh.

"Not if I have anything to say about it!" Crono said as he attempted to attack the Frozen Flame again.

"Oh no you don't!" Dalton said raising his hand. "You morons have troubled me enough! To the darkness with you! I can't have you developing such a wonderful power! You might just cause a rebellion!" he finished as the Frozen Flame enveloped everyone in a cold, dark, time freeze spell. The ear splitting roar of Lavos could be heard as a massive Gate opened and swallowed all five members of the party.

Dalton laughed maniacally as his visage slowly vanished from the feet up. "Enjoy the darkness I have endured you fools! May you wander the corridors of time for all eternity!"

*End of Chapter*


	13. Act 3 - Ch13: The Furnace of Woe

Chrono Corruption

ACT 3: Origin of the Flame

Chapter 13: The Furnace of Woe

*Antiquity, 11,995 B.C.

 _"The Kingdom of Zeal. A majestic kingdom that soared higher than the clouds. I once lived there, but that was another time. It has been five years since it has fallen into the ocean and the waters have long since resided. The surviving Enlightened Ones have mingled well with the non magical Earthbound Ones. I have scoured the ruins scattering the world since the waters resided. I have nearly given up on my search for my sister. Until, that is, the elder of the last village now known as New Algetty, has a new clue for me...,"_ thought a man as his worn leather boots approached an elderly man living in a hut.

The elder's eyes brightened, "Ah, Janus, so good to see you. Have you found anymore clues as to the whereabouts of your elder sibling?"

Janus, a tall man of around thirty years with pale skin and pointy ears sighed with a gloomy gaze to his right, "It is unfortunate, but I have not," he said brushing his long pale, silverish hair to the side of his face.

"Well then, I have some good news for you that may be of some use to you," said the elder.

Janus paused not wanting to get his hopes up, "...Very well then, speak...," he said curiously.

"Have you noticed lately?" the elder began. "The ravens have returned since the waters have settled. I hear the Enlightened Ones that survived are speaking of a woman known as the Crow Mother."

Janus's red eyes widened in astonishment, "The Crow Mother? She still lives?"

The elder squints his eyes in thought, "Perhaps not the one you know, but perhaps a descendant. I believe it may be a relative that has picked up her mantle. I hear she was an endless 'well' of information back when Zeal was still in the skies."

"Yes, she had a magical relationship with birds and her favorite were the ravens," Janus recalled. "But she left Zeal shortly after my father passed, her location unknown."

"I hear that if you follow the ravens you can find her," said the elder.

 _"Yes, perhaps if I find her, she can tell me a little more about my sister Schala...,"_ Janus pondered.

"Well then, there is a pale horse outside that is tied to the fence. You may take him to see her if you wish," offered the Elder.

"...Very well, I shall see to her, but this will be my final attempt. If she knows nothing, Then my sister is no more," Janus said hopelessly.

*Unknown*

 _"For three days, I followed these curious birds. I have taken the necessary precautions to do so. They have led me to an icy valley. The cold air howls as the birds gather in unnatural numbers. Suddenly, a young woman with fair skin appears before me. No doubt, this dark straight haired young woman is indeed the successor to the old crone that I was familiar with. She wore black leather clothing adorned with gold studs and down feathers from the ravens. Her dark eyes, sharp and cold, she looked up at me..."_

"Ah, may I presume, you are the once 'Prince of Zeal', Lord Janus?" she spoke softly.

Janus's eyes widened in amazement, "So, you are the successor to the Crow Mother?" he said.

"Indeed, the old one has passed on, but I gladly took her place. Tell me, how is it that Lord Janus has aged so quickly? You were but a boy when I became of age. Now you are actually older than me. The full figured woman approached slowly.

"It's a long story...," Janus said coldly.

The Crow Mother giggled, "You didn't come looking for me just to chat over some tea. You came looking for answers. Let it be known, I have been watching you for the last five years. I knew it would be a matter of time before you came looking for someone like me. As it is fitting, you may call me Raven."

"As you wish...," Janus said.

"Come Lord Janus, let me guide you to my palace. We can discuss things more there," Raven urged as she magically opened a portal that resembled a snow globe. She gently beckoned Janus as she passed through the portal to a strange and ruined place. Janus took the horse and entered.

*Crow Mother's Palace*

Janus found himself starring into the night sky above. Northern Lights danced across the starry sky. The building he was in was broken down and disheveled. Raven sat upon a gothic style throne with red cushions. Gothic lanterns and decor filled the room along with old Zealian decor.

She sat down and the ravens came to her, "Welcome Lord Janus, it isn't much of a palace really, just a collection of odds and ends from the ruins of Zeal. I left the old woman's place some time ago. Now, what is it you wish to ask of me?" Raven called as some torches came to life with plumes of flame.

"I will not take up your time. I simply wish to know if you have any information as to the whereabouts of my sister, Schala, after the collapse of Zeal," Janus inquired.

"Ah, your elder sister. Unfortunately, neither I or the ravens have seen her after the collapse, but her belongings have...," she began.

Janus gave Raven his full attention, "...Her possessions? Consisting of what, may I ask?"

"A shiny rock that hangs around one's neck, a pendant, and a purple dress with jewelry still in the pockets," said Raven as one of her birds flew down into her lap with something in its beak. She took the object and came over to Janus and gently place it into his hands.

Janus was stricken with astonishment, "It's... her earrings... , but how?"

"Her belongings were found along with many others across the lands after the kingdom fell. It is not known whether this specific pair was one she was wearing at the time or not, but her pendant made from a rare red stone was found by the Fiends. The Fiends have begun to harvest the items to enrich themselves."

The revelation began to stir within Janus, "Why do they collect the possessions of the dead?"

"Grave robbers mostly. The Fiends love jewels, silver and gold. They bring their ill gotten treasures to a place known as the Furnace of Woe," she informed.

Janus raised his brow, "The Furnace of Woe? The supposed place where the Fiends emerged from?"

"Indeed, a massive hole in the planet that burns like the sun. It is said to be a gate to hell by some," Raven added. "Now, may I ask about you, Prince Janus?"

At first, Janus seemed inconvenienced by her prodding, but relented as he began his long and arduous tale. "As you know, I was but a boy when it happened. After my father's demise, my mother sank deeply into herself. She found the power of a creature within the planet called Lavos somehow and had a machine she called, the Mammon Machine, constructed to siphon the creature's power and give the Enlightened Ones more power. As it seemed, Lavos was the source of our Magic to begin with. When she got to close with her greed, she became consumed and I along with the three Gurus were banished through time," Janus took a breath.

"Oh my, you were sent through the very fabric of time itself?" Raven said astonished.

"I ended up in the future, sometime before 600 A.D. I was found by the Fiends and taken in as their top wizard. I became the Fiendlord Magus and waged a war against humans so I could summon Lavos and kill it in an act of revenge. Unfortunately, I was unsuccessful as I was interrupted by some meddlers. Lavos awoke and I was once again sent through time, back to this era," he cleared his throat.

"How strangely fortuitous...," she smiled.

"Upon my return, I was already aware of things to come so I disguised myself as a Prophet and got close to my mother in an effort to change things. As you know, I could not and the kingdom fell anyway. As I said before, I joined forces with the meddlers from before and managed to kill Lavos and the rest is just history...," Janus finished.

"How very interesting, such a sad life you have lived Prince Janus," Raven said with compassion in her voice.

"Is your curiosity satisfied?" Janus asked.

"Yes, but I have one last question before you head off to the Furnace," she said with a smile.

"...?" he mused.

"Prince Janus, do you have a wife? If not, then do I not intrigue you? I can't change your past Janus, but I can offer you a peaceful future here underneath the stars. Or elsewhere if you so desire. I know that is much to ask of you, so please do think it over for a while. I do not expect an answer on such a large matter so hastily," she asked elegantly.

Janus retreated into his own mind and then spoke, "I will give your offer some thought, but until I make any decision on such a matter, I must see that my ordeal is first put to rest."

"Indeed, I can wait. The Furnace of Woe is located on the eastern continent," she said. "The eastern continent was mainly untouched by the Zealians. Only the Sky Bridges were erected there. The Fiends had sealed off the Furnace when Zeal rose to power."

Janus turned to leave, "Then I will take my leave, for now."

"Ah, one more thing, take this outfit with you," she urged, offering him a new set of equipment. It consisted of a hauberk, a cape, a pair of pants and a scythe. "This outfit is called, 'Ravendown' as it is made from the down feathers of the ravens. The Crow's Talon scythe is an heirloom of sorts," she chuckled softly.

Janus nodded his head with a gesture of acceptance and discarded his withered equipment for this newly fashioned set.

"I should go...," he said flatly.

"Allow me," Raven said with the flick of her wrist. She opened a portal, "Take this portal to the eastern continent. It will hasten your journey."

"You have my gratitude, Raven," he said as he entered the portal with his horse.

The portal vanished into thin air, "Let the Goddess of Fate guide you," Raven finished with a smile.

*Eastern Continent*

 _"As I ride across the eastern plains, I realize that this place would one day become Medina, the land mass where the Fiends make their home. As of now, they live in a volcanic pit, known as the Furnace of Woe. This pit is said to be where the Fiends first gained entrance into our world. As I approach the pit a hellish landscape of volcanic ash and rock become commonplace. The sky is black and the smell of sulfur fills the air. As I close the gap, I see Gargoyles carrying treasures in their arms as well as in caravans and wagons crafted from scraps of wood. They take notice of my presence, but as they get a good look, my appearance as Magus the Fiendlord, places them at a strange sense of ease. I am no longer the Fiendlord, but this disguise shall assist me once more."_

Janus came to a halt in front a Gargoyle who was guiding his brethren down into the pit with their treasures. He gazed at the Fiend with a cold expression, "You there, do you speak the common tongue?"

The Gargoyle met Janus's eyes and seemed confused at first. He then reluctantly spoke, "Y-yes, you Man or Fiend?"

"...Fiend...," Janus lied coldly.

"Y-yes, I see, what business do you have here?" the gargoyle asked with a gravelly voice.

"I seek a treasure, a pendant," Janus said getting to the point.

"Ah, you want to trade then? Very well, head down the path and into the furnace. Speak with our Fiendlord, she may be able to arrange something for you," explained the gargoyle.

"Very well," he replied as he tied his horse to an old tree. Janus began to descend, "...And do not eat my horse, I will vaporize you."

In the twisted depths of the Furnace, Janus seen many Fiends he was already familiar with when he took the name 'Magus'. Eventually, he reached the center of the crater-like lair and sitting upon a throne of bones was a small humanoid female. As Janus approached her features became more prominent to him. She was but a mere child, no more around the age of ten. Her skin was smooth and fair, but colored a dark green like the forest. Her eyes were red as blood and her otherwise perfect teeth were yellow. Her ears were pointed instead of rounded and outfitted with golden studs and her short boyish hair was black as ink. She wore black raiment, but her feet remained bare. Her smile was one of intrigue as Janus approached.

Janus spoke coldly, "Are you the master of this place?"

Before the child could offer retort two other females, obviously her kin as they had the same features, drew near. Unlike the child however, these two females were short and fat and tall and lanky respectfully and very ugly. The short one spoke first, "And who are you to be addressing our sister the Fiendlord?" she said with a gravelly voice.

Janus replied without taking his eyes off the child that grinned at him, "I am Magus...," he replied.

The tall one cackled with her shrill voice, "Oh, and what does this Magus want from our sister who is so fair?"

Janus replied, "I seek a particular piece of jewelry, a pendant, it was once my own sibling's. I wish to reclaim it..."

Before the two could speak, the child left her throne with a hop. She approached still grinning, "Do you mean this pendant by any chance?" she said as she took the piece of jewelry out from beneath her robe.

Janus's eyes lit up and he seen that it was indeed Schala's that was carved from the red stone. "Yes, that was once my sister's. As so, it holds value to me. I was told you offer trades for such things," he went on.

"Yes, I do, but I will not part with this lovely jewel so easily," she said with a strange level of cunning for a child.

"...," mused Janus.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Fiendlord Mathilda and I am the fairest in all the lands. In addition to such beauty, I have magical prowess that eclipses even the greatest of Fiends!" she boasted.

"Ah, a child prodigy, that explains your place upon that throne as well as your articulation," Janus deduced.

"I am called such things, yes, but let us proceed with this trade if you will," Mathilda said growing impatient.

"Agreed..., what do you wish in return for the pendant?" Janus said coldly.

The two cohorts seemed to dislike Janus's cold and direct tone, "How dare you speak to our lovely sister with such-!" said the short one as she was quickly interrupted by Mathilda.

"Silence fools, your stupidity is only rivaled by your hideousness! Now begone for now, the both of you! I will call for you to return when I am done!" chastised Mathilda.

Both women shrieked and made haste to vacate the premises. Mathilda hopped back onto her throne. She then flashed Janus her hand in which she held up three fingers. "Three things. First and foremost, shed that disguise you wear upon your face! I know you are no Fiend, so cease your mockery of us or I shall strip you of it myself!"

Janus reacted with astonishment, "So, in all my years of changing my face with my magic, you are the first to discover the truth. Very well..." Janus said as he cast a spell, bathing himself in a shining light. His fiendish features were henceforth erased. His pale silver hair became the sky blue it once had been when he was a boy. His irises reverted to their original green color and his flesh took back its humanly color as well. His ears were no longer pointed and his incisor teeth were no longer extended. "It is done, are you satisfied?" Janus asked.

Her eyes brightened, "You, you are not simply a human in disguise! That hair, the blue shade, you carry the blood of Zeal! Who are you truly? If the face was false, then surely the name you have given is just as false!"

"I am Janus Zeal...," he retorted coldly.

"Surely you are lying again, Janus Zeal was the Prince of Zeal! Who should not yet be an adult! How is it true?!" Mathilda said disgruntled.

"The story is long, but it is true, I am Janus Zeal," he claimed strongly.

"Then I have a fourth wish in return for your sibling's keepsake! Tell me the story of your troubles for I must hear it!" she said with the shining eyes of any intrigued child.

And so it was, Janus told his story to the wide eyed Mathilda and she was caught up in his tale. She munched on snacks and treats as she listened intently to him. Once Janus was done Mathilda seemed very pleased. "Hmm, I do not care wether or not you speak the truth anymore as I am well entertained! Then Janus, for my third wish in return for your sibling's keepsake, give unto me something else in its place!"

Janus remembered the earrings that Raven gave him, also from his sister. He pulled them from his pocket and gave them to Mathilda. "Are these good enough for you?" he asked.

Mathilda seemed pleased, "Yes, they will add to my lovely-ness!" she said. Her bright smile was then changed to a stern look. "And for my last wish! I want to play with you..."

Janus stumbled a bit, "Um..., come again?"

Mathilda giggled, "Yes, it has come to my attention that you humans destroyed the Mountain of Woe, that mountain which floated in the air. The only way for my kin to fall in such a way is if you managed to kill its guardian, the Giga Gaia. An impressive feat for humans to be sure. Here in the Furnace of Woe is an arena for our viewing pleasures. I want you step in and entertain me. If you truly are Janus Zeal then it should be an easy task for someone who carries such magic!"

Janus sighed under his breath, "Very well, I shall play your game..."

"Wonderful, let us go then!" Mathilda said. She rose up her voice, "Sisters, I have need of you now! Return to me!"

*Later*

The arena was a large slab of stone that sat in a pool of lava below its cliffs. It was placed in such a way that everyone could see from ancient stone made bleachers. These seats were filled to the brim with all kinds of wily and weird fiends. Mathilda sat at a throne that allowed her to get the best view. A gargoyle entered the center of the ring and quieted the crowd. His voice magnified by supernatural means, he began narration, "Attention all Ghouls and gals! Are you ready for some blood shed?!" he said tauntingly.

The crowd went wild with affirmation. "Then let the first Fiend come forth!" beckoned the announcer.

A flurry of bats swooped down from the open sky and merged into one giant mass. The mass then took a new shape. From the darkness, a voluptuous female figure emerged. Janus's eyes widened, _"That Fiend resembles my old servant Mayonne..., but I have to wonder if she is truly a female...,"_ he thought.

The feminine Fiend had black hair tied into two braided pigtails and she had teal skin, pointed ears and red eyes. Her outfit also resembled Mayonne's, but was more erotic. She wore a white cape with blue trimmings and wore a provocative blue and gold bustier with a short yellow skirt, white stockings with matching gloves and blue heels. She cackled wildly, "Ho ho ho! Beauty is power and I have power!" she said echoing her descendant. "Pleased to meet you, 'Prince', I am Tarta and I will show you my power!" she boasted confidently.

"Before you do, are you truly a female? I don't really care, I am simply curious," Janus said coldly.

Tarta then shot Janus a gaze as if that were the stupidest question she had ever heard, "Can you not see my feminity pouring from the outfit I wear? How large my blessed bosom's are in this Diva Bustier?" she said as she snapped one the tight strings that constricted her oversized bust.

"Ah, I see, the reason I ask, is because I met a male Fiend that dressed as a very convincing female that resembled you. That is all," Janus explained.

"Hmm, not unheard of, but nevertheless, I am 100% FEMALE! Lady Mathilda, shall we begin?" Tarta asked, changing the subject.

"Very well, begin!" Mathilda shouted.

"You shall fall under my charm!" said Tarta as she winked and blew Janus a kiss. A large red cartoon-ish heart shaped energy projectile was ejected from her lips and hit Janus, but did nothing. She was taken aback by this as Janus gave no reaction and kept his cold stare, "Oh my, what self control!" she complemented. "Very well then, forget the charm points! I'll go straight for your health points instead with my Prism Beams!" she shouted as she cast prismic beams of light from her pupils.

Janus chanted and performed hand signs as a shady aura surrounded his body. "My Dark Bomb should suffice...," Janus said as he cast forth a sphere of black energy that absorbed Tarta's attack and exploded.

Tarta dodged with blinding speed, "Ha, such a slow moving technique will never catch me!" she taunted as she continued to blink her way around the arena. The crowd cheered wildly.

Janus seemed bewildered, _"She is right, my Dark Bomb's explosion is far to concentrated to reach her. I must think of something, but I need a moment to think," he thought as he chanted another spell. "My Magic Wall should prevent her magic from harming me as long as she doesn't have the element that will pass through,"_ Janus thought covering himself in a green barrier. Janus became very resilient to all elements of magic save for one.

"What's this? A shield won't protect you!" Tarta shouted as she chanted a spell. "My Water Magic will just wash it away! Bubble Stream!" she chanted as a high pressure stream of bubbles collided with Janus. Fortunately, his Magic Wall simply ate the attack, leaving Janus mostly unharmed.

Janus closed his eyes in thought, _"How troubling. I have spent so much time searching for my sister that my magic has waned... I wonder if I could simply end this by giving her a fitting new form,"_ he thought as he extended one finger towards Tarta. She continued to batter his Magic Wall with her water magic and the spell began to weaken. Janus finished his chant and a dark bolt of energy hit Tarta from the sky.

She tingled and shivered as the energy bounced off her body in a sea of glittering sparks. She was unaffected, "Oh, ho, ho, ho! You won't be Polymorphing me!" she said confidently as she snapped the shoulder strings of her bustier confidently. My 'Diva Bustier' protects me from shape changing magic that's not my own!"

"That's fine, it was just a distraction anyway. Dark Bomb...," Janus said coldly as his altered spell hurled itself towards her.

"Ha, did you learn nothing? This won't work!" she said as she blasted it with another set of Prism Beams.

As the magic collided something different happened this time. Janus's new version split into four small child projectiles that tracked Tarta's movements at high speeds. She was unable to dodge as her eyes widened with horror. She crossed her arms in an 'X' pattern over her face and prepared to take the blow. The four spheres exploded with enough force to leave the woman in a small crater in the arena.

The announcer called for Janus as the victor. Mathilda sneered at Tarta, "Let this be a harsh lesson for you my Magic Knight! Perhaps wearing some actual armor instead of that male chasing negligee would do you better! Next Magic Knight, please!" she said with amusement.

Tarta popped up from the crater in a comical fashion and dashed to Mathilda's throne in a begging fashion. "But Lady Mathilda, the armor you suggest hurts my chest! It is heavy and its scent is horrid! Besides, my beauty would never shine through cold metal!"

Mathilda grabbed the string that held Tarta's right bosom and got in her face, "Idiot! Your beauty has no affect on one such as he, for he is fairer than even you!"

"But Lady Mathilda, he is a man! How is it that he has more beauty than me who is a woman!" Tarta shrieked.

"Fool, male, female what is the difference?! If your way is such that beauty and power go hand in hand then surely you would have realized his power!" Mathilda chastised. "No begone from my sight for now Tarta until I have need for you again! Next Magic Knight, please! I will not ask again!"

Tarta sulked as she took a seat outside Mathilda's sight. Janus awaited his next opponent as he thought to himself, _"I wonder if the next one is...,"_ his thoughts cut short by a silhouette in the sky. The shadowy figure took form as the person landed in the ring from their incredible jump. Janus laid his eyes upon him, _"As I suspected, he resembles Soyso...,"_ he thought with a grin.

He indeed resembled Soyso, he had pointed ears, was bald, had thick fish-like lips, no nose, but his skin was a bright crimson instead of Soyso's blue. The outfit was even similar. He wore a lavender flowing robe with matching baggy pants and turban, gilded segmented gauntlets, black boots and he had an ornate gilded sword he brandished proudly at his hip. "Greetings, Prince of the former Kingdom of Zeal! You humble me by accepting this challenge! Allow me to introduce myself, I am known as Wazabi!" he said as he took his sword from his hip. "Have at you!" he said as he rose his blade and vanished with blinding speed.

Janus quickly reestablished his Magic Wall, shielding him. _"As expected, he also fights like Soyso... Fast and unrelenting. My Dark Bomb is too slow for a direct hit, but maybe I can use something else..."_

Janus began to meditate as he allowed his shield to protect him. Wazabi hacked and slashed at Janus's body but the strikes were repelled as the Magic Wall absorbed the damage, "So your barrier even protects you physically? Well then, I have something just for that!" said Wazabi with a grin. He closed his eyes and meditated with his sword at his hip. In an instant, he opened his eyes and vanished from sight only to appear mere steps behind Janus. Janus was taken by surprise. His Magic Wall shattered like glass as it was carried off by a breeze. The crowd went wild as Janus took damage and knelt to the ground, holding his scythe to stabilize himself. Wazabi stood and sheathed his sword as he grinned at Janus.

Janus grinned with a chuckle, "It seems as though The Black Wind does not howl for you today...," he said cryptically.

Suddenly, Wazabi felt a cold sensation across his chest. Blood ran down to his abdomen as he gasped in horror, his eyes widening. "Such an attack! My heart was missed by a fraction! What did you do?"

"My Reaper's Hook technique can take someone's life instantly, leave you harmed, or pass you by unscathed," Janus explained. "In your case, you are more wounded than I. I would forfeit if I were you."

Wazabi stepped back in fear and then bowed with his face parallel to the ground, "You are far more powerful than me! I take my leave!" Wazabi said as Janus stood.

The crowd went wild as the announcer declared Janus the victor. Mathilda laughed in amusement as Wazabi approached her throne in shock. "Lift your face Wazabi, for you have done well! I am most pleased with your performance, but let this be a lesson to you! Train hard and continue to be my Magic Knight!" she praised.

Wazabi's mood lifted and he regained his composure, "Thank you your highness!" he said with a bow as he found a seat next to the pouting Tarta.

Mathilda stood, "Would my last Magic Knight appear please, I am growing impatient!"

 _"I can only see my last opponent being...,"_ Janus thought's began as a large and fat Fiend entered the ring through means of levitation. _"...Just like Vinnegar..."_

Indeed this Fiend resembled Janus's old general Vinnegar to a frightening level of uncanniness. He was as wide as he was tall with skin like a toad and pointy ears and sharp teeth. His skin was yellow instead of the green Janus knew. His robe was crimson and his shoulders were covered by thick gilded armor. The shoulders protruded outward and a large amethyst was set right over his heart. He bellowed arrogantly, "Bwah, haw, haw, haw! Don't mind those two! They are so weak! I am the real deal when it comes to the Magic Knights! Please watch Lady Mathilda as I give you the best!"

"See that you do!" Mathilda said with a crooked grin.

Janus smiled lightly, _"I am amazed how history rarely changes for some. Descendants or Ancestors, little has changed for them..."_

"I am known as Bickle! I shall be your last opponent today! So if you could just take a step forward we can begin!" he boasted.

"Allow me a guess, you have a trap door or something waiting for me?" Janus asked with a raised brow.

Bickle was stunned as his jaw dropped in disbelief, "B-but how did you know that?!" he asked in astonishment.

Mathilda was already giggling, "It would seem Bickle is in a pickle!" she laughed heartily as did the crowd.

Bickle growled as his ears turned downward, "Fine, forget the traps! Can you defeat my ultimate technique? No one gets past my shield!" he said as cast a spell. The spell was encased Bickle in a what seemed to be a block of solid ice. "Go ahead, try to attack!" he taunted.

 _"Even the technique is the same..., but to bad for you I don't need to attack to defeat you. Perhaps you could use a more..., fitting form?"_ Janus thought as he stretched out his arm and by extension, his index finger. With a dark bolt of lightning and a puff of smoke, Bickle's shield vanished as he was transformed into an orange tabby cat. _"That spell has never worked right..., but at least it placed Bickle in his place,"_ he thought.

Mathilda lost her composure completely as she fell on her back laughing so hard she began to wheeze. "Oh, oh my gut!" she struggled to say. The crowd laughed as well as the cat ashamedly approached Mathilda. Mathilda managed to regain herself as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "Bickle you truly have shown me the best this evening and as a reward I will return you to normal!" she stated with but a snap of her fingers. Bickle returned to his slimy self with a puff of smoke.

"Lady Mathilda! That is not fair, what he has done! I am the leader of the Magic Knights yet I was defeated so soundly!" Bickle moaned.

"Then perhaps you need to expand your arsenal Bickle! Nevertheless, this has ended in an unexpected way and I am pleased! Go to your allies Bickle while I finish my ordeal with Janus!" spoke Mathilda.

Bickle twiddled his fingers as he pouted, "Yes, Lady Mathilda..."

Mathilda entered the ring and approached Janus and with a snap of her fingers she mended his wound and restored him to full strength. "I am well pleased Prince Janus and as promised you shall have your sister's keepsake returned to you!" she said as her elder sisters approached with the pendant in hand.

The short rotund sister came to Janus with the old artifact on a small cushion and presented it to him. All the while the tall lanky sister spoke whispers into Mathilda's ear, "Dear sister, since he has won isn't the prize for victory appropriate as well?" she asked.

"Ah yes, but what do you propose?" Mathilda asked with not a thing on her mind to give him.

"What about the eerie fire shaped jewel we found in the rubble of Zeal? It is strange, frightening and it gives me the goose bumps! Surely, it belongs to Janus as well?" the tall sister urged.

"Very well, I hate that thing in it's entirety, perhaps this Prince of Zeal knows about it and can take it far from here?" Mathilda thought aloud.

Mathilda instructed Janus to wait for a while as she award him further for winning the arena challenge. As it was so, her two sisters came with a chest and sat it before Janus. They pushed off the stone lid and removed from it, none other than the Flame of Legend, albeit inactive. Janus approached curiously as the two sisters brought it before him. It gave Janus an eerie feeling that he had felt before. "What is this thing you have brought me?" Janus asked.

"We believe it is to be called, The Frozen Flame. It was found in the rubble of your kingdom. Do you know of it?" Mathilda asked curiously.

"I was but a child when I last heard that name...," Janus said as he searched his now uneasy heart and he began to recall the distant past.

"I was young when my father passed and my mother began to grieve," he started. "I wandered the halls aimlessly with my cat Alfador. I then heard my mother in her chambers speaking to herself. A red glow came from her room as her grieving voice turned to one of malice. She had done this many times until finally she ordered for the construction of the Mammon Machine and had this 'Frozen Flame' place within... I remember nothing further..."

"Strange, nevertheless, it is yours so please take it from here as I wish to gaze upon it no further. It's brings a strange darkness here," Mathilda said as her clumsy sisters dropped the flame on the ground. The two sisters lost composure and sought refuge behind Mathilda. Janus went to touch the flame and as he did so, it came to life and repelled him. The Flame opened and levitated to meet his gaze. Mathilda and her sisters backed far away as the fiends across the bleachers gasped in fright.

A voice came from the Flame, "Why hello, Prince Janus, it sure has been awhile hasn't it? Or should I call you, 'Prophet'?"

Janus's eyes widened, "...Dalton? You are still on this mortal coil?"

Dalton laughed heartily, "In more ways than one you brat! I have ascended! This Frozen Flame is what allowed us humans to acquire our empire, our Magic! For you see, this Flame is a splinter of the mighty Lavos! Even this tiny splinter has given me untold power! I can see into the past, present and future! Once I learn how to control it completely I can control all of time itself!"

"I see you haven't changed at all...," Janus said calmly.

"And as for you, you haven't either really. You're still that same brat that you've always been! I've looked through the Flame and witnessed all of what became of you! You came back as a lousy Prophet and made a fool of me? You are nothing but a joke! You used all your life to gain revenge on Lavos only to still fail so utterly! Lavos still burns through this flame and it will consume the world!" Dalton threatened maliciously.

"...Then perhaps my revenge has not been completed...," Janus began as his rage swelled in his heart. "I will take it upon myself to rid not only the world of this abomination, but you as well, Dalton. I will make sure your very existence is forgotten!"

"Then come, I will make you a fine sacrifice to the Flame as well as these Fiends! Come become one with Lavos!" Dalton urged. The Frozen Flame's emanations reached far and wide, covering the Furnace.

Mathilda called out to her Magic Knights as the fiends in the bleachers ran in chaos to escape. "Protect me you idiots! Janus get rid of that thing!" Mathilda cried out.

Janus took his scythe and leaped into the sky. With a mighty swing, Janus hit the Frozen Flame with an angry howl. In retaliation, it repelled Janus with a pulse of energy. As he was thrown to the ground his blood veins glowed with a crimson light. "What is this?!" he said in shock.

"No, no, not you too! Don't tell me! I will use the Flame's power to consume you!" Dalton said angrily as the power of the Flame caused an earthquake.

Then suddenly, a large red serpentine beast arose from the magma outside the arena. It was large and muscular with slimy skin and had two human-like arms that it crossed over its broad chest. It had a short stubby face that looked more amphibious than lizard. Finally, it had sharp horns on its head and deep red eyes. It growled angrily, irritated by what was happening.

Mathilda cried out, "It's the Tera Terra! The guardian of the Furnace!"

"Hmm, another guardian like the Giga Gaia? How intriguing!" Dalton said with a menacing tone. "Let's make it a sacrifice to Lavos as well!"

The Frozen Flame cast a beam of sickening energy toward the Tera Terra and it became wild and out of control. "No! What has happened?!" Mathilda cried. "It's becoming corrupt!"

"Now, Tera Terra! Crush Janus Zeal, so that he may become one with the Flame, one with Lavos!" Dalton commanded.

The Tera Terra attacked suddenly with a fist slam, but Janus effortlessly avoided its attack. Mathilda reached out to her Knights, "Tarta, Wazabi assist Janus! Bickle provide me with a barrier while I chant the spell that will calm the Tera Terra!"

The Magic Knights obliged wholeheartedly. Bickle placed Mathilda in his barrier as she chanted while the other two came to Janus's side. "We have come to aid you!" Wazabi said respectfully.

"We must keep it busy, while Lady Mathilda chants!" Tarta informed.

"Do as you wish," Janus said as he cast his Magic Wall on the two as well as himself. He then cast forth a Dark Bomb at the Tera Terra. The explosion caused considerable damage as Tarta followed with her water magic. The dragon tried to slam down its fists on both Janus and Tarta, but they evaded. Wazabi took the moment to his advantage and slashed at the fists when they were in range. The creature roared and took a deep breath. It exhaled a powerful fire breath that consumed Janus and the Magic Knights. The damage was so great that Janus's Magic Wall, was destroyed on both him and the Knights.

The monster roared wildly and seemed inconvenienced by the attacks it endured. It immediately used another Fire based magic spell. A wave of heat raced across the field as multiple explosions followed, engulfing them. Tarta and Wazabi suffered on the ground, unable to continue. Janus kneeled as he held onto his scythe. He breathed hard as he gnashed his teeth in anger. _"This creature is every bit as powerful as its counterpart on Mount Woe. I cannot withstand another spell!"_ he thought as his desperation heightened.

The Tera Terra rose its fist once more and aimed its attack for Janus. Janus's eyes locked onto the fist as it came hurdling towards him. Then, just before it came into contact with him, something in his mind slipped and he was consumed by a bright light that prevented the monster's fist from making contact. After the light subsided Janus stood changed. His sky blue hair was now blood red, his eyes burned with a gold light and he was emanating a powerful fiery aura. He looked himself over, "What is this? Can this be..., what the Enlightened Ones were searching for? The Enlightenment they were trying to reach with Lavos's power? Or..., am I corrupted...? Either way, I can use it to end this," Janus began a chant as he levitated above the ground. "...Gravity Blast...," he said coming out of his chant. His hand collected an enormous amount of dark energy that it warped the space around them. It was so dark that it did not reflect even the least bit of light, but it was surrounded by a thin bluish aura. Janus tossed the sphere at the Tera Terra and it imploded sending the creature crashing into the stadium below. It had been sufficiently stunned, but not killed or destroyed. Janus's aura faded, but his red hair and gold eyes remained. With this, Mathilda finished her spell and was released from Bickle's barrier. She cast the light upon the Tera Terra and it retreated into the magma below. "Now Janus, get rid of that nasty jewel!" she urged.

"...With pleasure...," he said as he approached the Frozen Flame.

Dalton's angry growl could be heard, "I hate you, you horrid brat! But I think I figured out the key to controlling the Flame! It's that pendant you carry! It's your foul sister's if I'm not mistaken? Yes, I remember now, she controlled the Mammon Machine with it and hence the Flame as well! No need to hand it over, I'll just take it from you!"

"...Please by all means... try...," Janus said with a calm fury as he gathered energy for his Gravity Blast again. Janus threw the collected energy at the Flame, but its emanations held it at bay. Janus pushed further with nothing but a cold stare. Then suddenly, the spell imploded and a hole in space-time appeared. Bickle sealed all his allies in his barriers, but could not reach Janus in time as Janus vanished into the void, his sister's pendant hitting the ground all by itself.

*End of Chapter*


	14. Act 3 - Ch14: Return of the King

Chrono Corruption

ACT 3: Origin of the Flame

Chapter 14: Return of the King

*Middle Ages, 605 A.D. Guardia Forest*

"Master Glenn, Master Glenn, I have finished my daily routine! Is there anymore work to be done?" asked a purple spiky haired pre-teen. He wore an orange scarf, a white tunic with black tights, yellow boots and gloves, a black belt with a gold buckle and had a bronze short sword and a wooden shield on his back.

A man emerged from the brush and swept his long green hair from his eyes. It was kept in a loose ponytail. "Ah, Tata, you have finished so soon? You will make a great Squire!" praised Glenn. Glenn wore a dark green cape, a bronze breastplate, white britches, a belt with his scabbard fixed to it, a bronze shield and blue gloves and boots.

"Thank you Master Glenn! I will become a great knight and carry on your legacy!" Tata said as he kneeled respectfully.

"Tata, you have improved so much since you came to me last year. However, you have a long way to go as of yet," Glenn explained.

"Yes, Master Glenn, so are we to return to the castle now?" Tata asked curiously as he rose.

"Yes, I believe that would be best," Glenn said with a grin.

On the way back, Tata witnessed many frogs moving through the forest. "Master Glenn, has there not been more frogs as of late? Has their population increased so much?"

"You may be onto something Tata. The rain has been plentiful this year, so perhaps their food source has also multiplied," Glenn deduced.

"Master Glenn..., do you... ever miss being a frog-like being?" Tata asked reluctantly.

Glenn paused as he gazed into the sky as it quickly began to cloud up, "Would you believe me if I said that there are some things I do miss about it? However, returning to my original form... is like sleeping in one's own bed after a long journey. I had good times as a frog as well as bad and those are irreplaceable memories, but given a choice, I would never return to the form of a frog!" he laughed.

"I would not either Master Glenn!" laughed Tata alongside him.

*Castle Guardia, Throne Room*

King Guardia sat at his throne adjusting his long red robe, while his wife, uncanny to Marle, sat next to him fanning herself to keep cool. Glenn and Tata kneeled before them, "The boy's training is completed for today, your Majesty!" Glenn said strongly.

"Ah, good news Sir Glenn, you may rest for the remainder of the day," King Guardia said relieving them.

"Oh, and Sir Glenn, might you do me one small favor?" Queen Leene asked attempting to keep her irritation to herself.

"Certainly, what would you have of me, your Majesty?" Glenn asked politely.

"Might you go to the kitchen and get me a bowl of the new Frog Stew that is being prepared? I wish to try it," Queen Leene asked hungrily.

"Yes, your Majesty, right away. Come Tata, let us go," Glenn said as he excused himself and Tata.

Down in the kitchen, many Guardian Knights of all ranks sat at the wooden tables munching on the new recipe. Save for one, of course, who lie in the corner complaining of hunger. A maid came and delivered his food and he became ecstatic. A maid approached Glenn, "If you are waiting for the Frog Stew, it'll be awhile...,"she sighed from overwork.

"Not for me, the Queen demands a portion!" Glenn said strongly. "Tata, take a seat and make yourself comfortable. I will tend to the Queen."

"Aren't you going to eat, Master?" Tata asked curiously.

"Yes, but..., um frog is not my to my tastes. You understand...?" Glenn said trying to hold back his disgust.

"Oh right, what manner am I thinking?! Of course it would not be to your palette!" Tata said as he cheerfully as he easily secured a seat amongst the knights, who offered him high respect.

The maid returned posthaste with a decorative bowl and the best prepared stew they had to offer. He took it and made his way back to the Queen. Upon his arrival, Glenn gracefully handed Queen Leene the stew. She began to eat it politely, "Mmm, this is simply divine! Thank you Sir Glenn for your kindness. I know a dish like this must trouble you somewhat..."

"Not at all my Queen, but if I may, I wish to take my leave," Glenn asked politely.

"As you wish Glenn, you are dismissed," Queen Leene said with a content smile.

*Later that Evening*

Glenn opened his eyes to a loud castle. He awoke in his quarters to find it still in the middle of the night. The loud noise that could be heard, was the audible croaking of frogs, to his dismay. "Something is amiss," Glenn said to himself as he sensed something wrong. He leaped from his bed and when he placed his feet on the stone floor, he noticed a creepy sight. Frogs, hundreds of frogs, lined the entire room, all croaking a song. "What madness is this?!" Glenn said in horror.

His horror had only begun as he heard the footsteps come down the stairs. He gazed slowly behind him and he froze in fear. Tata stood before him as a humanoid frog like he himself used to be, but he was purple instead of green. He reached for Glenn, "Ma...ster... Gle...nn, w-what has... happened to me...?" Tata croaked.

"TATA!" Glenn shrieked. Who has done this?! What is happening?!"

"The Queen... go to her... everyone... is a frog...!" he croaked.

"Stay here, I will see to this!" Glenn said as he grabbed his fabled sword and a round bronze shield.

As Glenn neared the large wooden doors to the throne room, he paused and swallowed hard, fearful of what he would see. He opened them slowly, hoping no one would notice, but to no avail. A bellowing voice could be heard, "Ah, someone enters, come here would you?"

Glenn's memory had been triggered, "That voice! It is none other than...!" he thought as he approached the throne. "The Frog King!"

A massively obese frog monster sat upon the throne. It wore a red cape and even had a big golden crown on its head. "Ah, Sir Glenn! What a pleasure! My have you grown since I last seen you! Although, why aren't you a frog right now? I was sure everyone ate my food. Oh well, it does not matter much. I'll just feed you to my new Queen! Have you met?" he grinned widely.

Torches lit up a massive figure next to him, surely enough the horrid sight brought Glenn to his knees. Queen Leene had been transformed into an amphibious being that resembled the Frog King himself. She was even larger than he was and only retained a few human features, such as the shape of her head and long golden ponytail. Her body was smooth and slimy and a rich green color. "Ah, Sir Glenn, so good of you to have come! I was feeling a tad peckish, but I think you'll do!" she said as she opened her mouth.

A huge red tongue emerged, but the Frog King stopped her in a disciplinary way, "Hey, stop that! I swear, women right? They're always so cute when you first marry them! Then they just let themselves go!" he said in a comical tone.

Glenn's fear finally gave way to anger, "What is all this?" he said gnashing his teeth.

"Oh, have you forgotten? I swore revenge on you after that Nirvana Strike or whatever it was called, that your Master Cyrus hit me with! I was so angry that I decided to get revenge on the whole lot of you! So I after I recovered I retreated into the depths of the swamp lands and brushed up on some old Fiend magic! I noticed you people began eating my precious frogs when our numbers became great, so I snuck some 'special' ingredients into the latest batch of stew! I must say, it was so easy to take over! Why did the old Fiendlord not take this tactic into consideration? I may be more dangerous than even him now!" he laughed triumphantly.

The room then flooded with hypnotized Frog Knights that resembled himself as he did long ago, "This be a nightmare...," Glenn said, his breathing irregular.

"Oh no, Glenn, this is no dream, this is REALITY!" he bellowed as Glenn drew his sword expecting a fight. Unfortunately, he was yet again stricken with horror. His fabled blade, the Grandleon, was replaced with but a mere bronze sword. "Missing something?" the Frog King said with a laugh. Glenn sheathed the bronze sword and he retreated. He was followed by the Frog Knights like they were zombies and Queen Leene cried for him to return as she was still hungry. He was nearly stopped on his way out of the castle, but fought his way out and he began to run down the grand stairs that led to the castle itself from the Guardia Forest.

Glenn decided to take refuge deep in the Guardia Forest as it would be to easy for him to be found in a village if the people of the village had met the same fate. He managed to find a grotto, not unlike the one he had lived in while he was a frog in the Cursed Woods all the way in Porre. A trip to Porre was impossible under the current circumstances. All he could do, was bide his time and hope some resistance would form against the Frog King.

*Three Days Pass*

Glenn wandered the depths of Guardia Forest, surviving off spring water and forest mushrooms and vegetables. He could constantly hear the eerie croaking of the frogs as if it were some style of worship. As Glenn hid in the tree tops he witnessed a group of knights carrying torches through the forest. Upon closer inspection, it was revealed that they were still human. Feeling desperate, Glenn leaped from the tree and landed in front of them. Startled, they went on the defensive, "Who goes there?!" said the leading knight.

Glenn threw back his hood, "It is I, Glenn!" he whispered loudly.

The knights dropped their guard in relief, "Oh thank the heavens! The Hero of Guardia is still with us! Quickly, you must come with us, outside the forest to the Guardia Plains! Small camps have been set up for preparation against the Frog King!"

"Is the King still around? Is he safe?" Glenn asked with hope.

"Yes, he is with us! It is a miracle that he escaped!" explained the knight.

And it was so, the Knights successfully escorted Glenn out of Guardia Forest and into the country's great plains. All across the plains, he could see torches lit at small campsites. The knights took him into the camps to find the King. Glenn was taken to a large tent far into the fields. When he entered the King looked upon his face and he nearly wept in relief. "Oh, Sir Glenn! How wonderful that you are still with us!" he said.

"Your Majesty, I am glad to see you as well!" Glenn said, also in relief. "What has transpired since I had been hiding?"

The King cleared his throat and began a more serious tone, "As you know, my wife was taken from me. She has been turned into a massive amphibious creature that is now called, 'The Frog Queen'. Other than this, we don't know much, as the knights that have transformed also prevent direct entry into the forest. We have been attempting to gather information regarding the matter, but so far, nothing of value has risen. This a bad time for the Knight Captain to away..."

"Then allow me to take his place!" Glenn asked strongly, with fierce valor.

"I was hoping you would! You will make a fine substitute!" the King said with flattery.

As Glenn and the King spoke, two knights outside the tent could be heard struggling with someone as they approached. They entered with a small purple, humanoid frog monster. The creature spoke, "Put me down! I'm not with them! I am the squire of Sir Glenn, Tata!" pleaded the monster.

"Tata! Please release the boy, he is with me!" Glenn pleaded.

Tata was released and he came to Glenn on his knees, "Master Glenn! I am so glad you are here! You can beat the Frog King and lift the curse! I know you can!"

"Yes Tata, I fully intend to do so, but I will need my sword, the one that defeated the Fiendlord Magus, the Grandleon!" Glenn claimed. "The Frog King's minions stole it from me in my rest!"

"The Grandleon! I tried to get it, but I was too scared..., but I know where it is!" Tata said ecstatically.

"You have seen it?!" Glenn asked bewildered.

"The Frog King's minions took it and have been using it to execute prisoners! It is drenched in the blood of the innocent!" Tata claimed. "At this rate, your sword may become corrupt!"

"...No..., I must not allow the Frog King to do as he pleases!" Glenn said with a clenched fist.

"Oh! I'm not sure if it is important or not, but I heard the Frog King saying something about a 'Frozen Flame' and how the Guardian's used it to become to the leading nation of the world. I'm not sure what it means, but they are also hoping to find it as well," Tata claimed.

The King went pale in the face, "The Frozen Flame? How does he know of such a legend?"

Glenn seemed confused, "What is this thing? A weapon? A treasure?"

The King seemed lost in thought as he gathered himself. He then excused everyone else other than Glenn and Tata from his presence. "It is a strange tale, but I shall share it. It was supposed to have been kept a long dead secret, but it continues to haunt us regardless. The Frozen Flame was a power source that we supposedly found some six hundred years ago and its presence helped us create the kingdom. There was a long war between the nations that would become the four large ones they are today. Guardia, Porre, Medina and Chorus. With Guardia at the head of the chain. Many tribes banded together to become part of one of these four nations. With the Flame we supposedly had the upper hand over them. This is all that I know, as much of it is lost to history. I myself doubted the Flame's existence because I chose to believe that the Goddess of Fate simply chose Guardia to lead," the King explained.

"So if this Frozen Flame exists we should lay claim to it before the Frog King...," Glenn said, determined. "Your Majesty, do you know of any place it may be hidden?"

The King pondered as he scratched his scruffy brown beard. "If it is here in the Kingdom, then it would probably be in the catacombs beneath the castle..."

Glenn blinked his eyes, "This is the first time I've heard of this. Castle Guardia has catacombs beneath it?"

"Yes, but they were sealed off centuries ago. Not a soul has been down there and for good reason," the King warned.

"...And, what reason is that...?" Tata asked with a shiver.

"Well, two reasons actually. One; the place is a winding labyrinth and it is easy to get lost, and two; it is said to be haunted by the souls that Guardia defeated to establish ourselves. So, it is without doubt a frightening endeavor," the King explained fearfully.

"I think for now I should focus on reclaiming the Grandleon. With it, I can slay the Frog King!" Glenn said strongly. "Tata, do you know exactly where the sword is?"

"Yep, it's in the kitchen. As I said it's being used to hack up prisoners and...," Tata began growing fearful and he started to weep. "...and they are feeding the parts to... the Frog King," he choked.

Glenn and the King were in horror, "What kind of abomination is this?!" Glenn said as the King nearly went into a state of shock.

"Do you hear the frog's praying through the forest? Every so often a deep gurgling sound is heard along with it?" Tata asked sniffling.

Glenn took a moment to focus his hearing and sure enough a deep bellowing growl could be heard amongst the frog's croaking chant, "Yes, I hear it, it is faint, but there," he said.

"That's Queen Leene's belly..., they... feed her everything they can! She's always hungry!" Tata said trying not to choke up again. "Even... people... she is like a bullfrog... she will eat anything! Even other frogs!"

"This is madness...!" the King said. "What are they even chanting for?"

"I think... it is a chant of victory...," Tata said with a sniff. "Or maybe a prayer for rain."

"Tata, how did you escape, knowing all these things? If the others are controlled, why were you not?" Glenn asked curiously.

Tata sniffed, "I am a child, not a knight... The Frog King only wanted the Queen, her Knights and servants. Anyone else... would become food..."

"Your Majesty, do you have any plan yet to get me into the castle undetected?" Glenn asked desperately.

"Not yet, but the spies are working on it. For now, get some rest Glenn. We hope to have something come the dawn," ordered the King.

Glenn reluctantly agreed, "Y-yes, your Majesty." With that, both he and Tata turned in for the night.

*Dawn*

The dawn came and with it, rain. The King entered the tent that Glenn and Tata had taken refuge in for the night. "Sir Glenn, rise, for we have a plan!" he said strongly.

Glenn rose with little sleep, "Finally, I was not able to sleep! What should I do, Your Majesty?"

"Truce Canyon has our answer," the King started. "There, you will find a secret entrance into the catacombs beneath the castle."

"We enter through the back door? Splendid, I shall ready myself immediately!" Glenn said wholeheartedly.

As he got to his feet he felt a tug on his cape, Tata gazed at him, "What shall I do, Master Glenn?"

Glenn gave the notion some thought, "You are still very young, but you have proven yourself the youngest person to nearly become a squire since myself. I would feel safe if you remained here, but if you came with me and we succeeded, then Knighthood would assuredly be in your future. So, one of the first principles I will teach you is that a man makes his own decisions. Do you want to come with me, Tata? It is acceptable if you do not, Knighthood will not be out of your reach if you stay here and I will not place it against you. Give this some thought as I consult more with the King and get ready for battle."

Tata dipped his head in thought, "Yes, Mater Glenn..."

*Later*

Glenn stood around a set of council members that replaced the Knight's of the Square Table as the original members and their Captain were away on a journey. The King himself, led them. Glenn was equipped with the finest Bronze Edge, Shield, Breastplate, Legguards and Gauntlets. This full set of armor was known as the 'Bronzed Hero'. His Hero Medal shined brilliantly as it clung to his breastplate. "Shall we go over the plan again for clarity?" asked the King.

"Yes, please do," Glenn agreed.

King Guardia read the plan from a parchment, "So then, you will cut through Truce Village and make your way to the Canyon. There, you will follow the river until it takes you deep into the Guardia Forest. You will see the castle looming above you at all times and you are to travel through the forest while approaching the castle. Eventually, you will hit the cliffs the castle is built upon. From there, you will need to find a cave entrance. You will find it due to the wooden portcullis blocking it. This will take you into the catacombs," he said as he gazed at Glenn. "Be brave Sir Glenn, I know you can do it!"

"Yes, your Majesty!" Glenn said as the King dismissed him.

As he turned to leave the Knight's saluted his leave with their swords held high, Tata approached Glenn. "Sir Glenn! I wish to accompany you! I have given this much thought and I believe that I would rather risk battle and death as I am than sit and cower!"

Glenn closed his eyes in thought, but then spoke, "Tata, you have been dealt such a poor hand and I know your feelings perfectly well. I would like you to stay, but no matter what I say, you would follow regardless." Glenn smiled with a chuckle, "...You are braver than I was when I was that age... So follow me if you wish lad, I swear to protect you with my very life!"

Tata knelt in appreciation, "Yes, Sir Glenn! Thank you for this honor!" shouted the boy as he picked up his copper short sword and wooden shield.

"Then let us go, we shall arrive at Truce Village by dusk," Glenn said with Tata following close behind.

*Truce Village*

And it was so, Glenn and Tata reached the outskirts of Truce Village upon the fall of Twilight. The village was in an almost comical state of disarray. Dancing frogs harassed the townsfolk with their pranks as they ran wild. The amphibians did as they pleased. They started fires, jumped on people, ate their food and made themselves at home as they sang. Glenn and Tata were furious at the sight. Glenn knelt down to Tata, "Tata, we must help the townspeople! For your first task at hand I want you to slay at least twenty frogs in the town as we pass through!" he whispered strongly.

With a silent haste, Glenn and Tata entered the village and began to slay the frogs. One by one they fell before them. The people cheered as they were inspired to fight back themselves. Tata remembered his master's teachings and quickly gained hold of his new form. He slew frog after frog, poisonous and non poisonous. Both he and Glenn slew them without mercy with Tata counting all the way. They easily made their way to the center of town and the frogs began to retreat. A silence fell over the town as the frogs were being driven back. Tata turned to Glenn, "That is twenty frogs, Master Glenn!" he said proudly as he sheathed his blade.

"Good work, lad! Now, while they are in the midst of confusion, let us head toward the canyon!" Glenn instructed strongly.

"Yes, Master Glenn!" Tata followed bravely.

As the amphibians were caught up in their confusion, Glenn and Tata broke through the village in a hurry and vanished into the canyon's brush near the stream.

As they trekked deeper into the canyon, they noticed the frog's presence dwindle quickly to nothing. Imps and Roundillos were the only presence known the further they went. They fought off the thieving Imps and scattered the Roundillos until the locals left them alone entirely and allowed them to enter into a hidden forest path. The forest here was thick and silent. The wind did not even reach this part of Guardia Forest. "Are you ready Tata? Do not let your guard down, for we do not know what lies within," warned Glenn.

"Yes, Master Glenn," Tata said with a tight grip on his sword hilt.

With that, they entered quietly and took in their surroundings. Indeed, the forest was dark and lush. Only small rays of light from the thick canopy made it through. There were taller trees here than elsewhere in the forest. When there was a break in the canopy, the castle could be seen looming in the twilight. Navigating this area proved difficult as many pathways resembled each other. Darkness of the night crept steadily closer as they came to dead end after dead end. Owls cooed in the branches above as it was time for them to awake. Then finally, at long last, Glenn and Tata arrived at the edge of the forest and were met with a steep cliff. Atop the cliff, the castle could be seen. "Now, we must find the entrance to the catacombs along this rocky wall," Glenn said as he was suddenly stopped by the echo of a light moan.

Glenn turned his attention to the source of the moan. A shadowy human figure shambled about making clanking noises as it lumbered toward them. The figure came into view and it was revealed to be an animated skeleton with deep hateful fire in its eye sockets. "Beware Tata! Glenn shouted as he raised his shield to block the skeleton's scythe-like arms. Tata withdrew as Glenn took down the ghoul with one critical strike.

The skeletal apparition lie motionless on the ground all broken and defeated. "Master Glenn! It is true, the place is cursed!" Tata shivered.

Glenn inspected the skeleton closely and found it stranger than he had hoped. "These bones... are not animated by hate and sorrow alone... See how the bones themselves are twisted from their original human shape?" he said pulling back it's hood, revealing a misshapen and inhuman skull. "Even the bones don't match those of a man. These arms are blades like a scythe and many are different sizes. Someone put this monster together like this. This is the works of Fiendish magics. Is someone making these abominations?" Glenn asked himself out loud.

"Is this like the ones you saw in the keep of the Fiendlord?" Tata asked nervously.

"Yes, this is no mere haunting. There is necromancy afoot, let us hope it does not await us in the catacombs!" Glenn said with worry.

Tata swallowed hard but they pressed on and easily found the entrance to the catacombs. The wooden portcullis had rotted away over time leaving only bits and pieces of itself behind.

"Shall we lad?" Glenn asked with a smile.

"Yes, Master Glenn, there is no turning back now!" Tata said growing nervous.

They entered cautiously, grabbing and lighting a torch as they did so. The passageways were tight and confining. Glenn was on high alert as he listened to faint moans. Tata followed close behind while occasionally looking back to make sure they were not snuck up on. Left, right, straight ahead, they took all these paths finding dead ends and odds and ends. Inscriptions were written on the walls of cracked stone. "Tata, look, arrows are inscribed here. I wonder where they may lead...," Glenn said as he inspected the wall.

"I hope that it is not a trap," Tata shivered. "The moans are getting louder..."

"Indeed, this is a place stained with blood," Glenn said staying alert.

They turned another right and saw a light, "Master Glenn, is someone there?" Tata asked nervously.

"We shall see," Glenn said as they approached quietly. Glenn poked his head around and a large rectangular room was set before them. It was constructed like a mausoleum with piles of bones lining the walls under stone archways. Torches lined the walls and the light of the ghostly blue flame touched every corner of the room. Skeletons lie on the floor as strange frogs they had never seen before danced about singing a weird deep song.

"Master Glenn, what has befallen these frogs? I can smell a revolting scent from here!" Tata whispered loudly.

"They are afflicted with undeath... Their skin is stricken with rot!" Glenn deduced.

"Undead frogs? Is there more to the Frog King's invasion than we know?" Tata asked worriedly.

"It would appear so," Glenn stated. "Nevertheless, we must not allow these blight stricken amphibians to leave this place! So, on the count of three, we charge and attack the ones in this room!"

"O-okay, I am ready!" Tata said with sword and shield in hand.

"One... two... and three!" Glenn said with a battle cry as they turned the corner with a rush.

The skeletons sprang to life and the zombified frogs took notice immediately. The skeletons approached in a defensive stance like any well trained knight and the frogs outstretched their gooey tongues. Glenn and Tata fought back with valor, their surprise attack benefitting them well as they smashed the skeletons and cut through the mushy frogs. They let not one escape the room. "That was intense! My heart still pounds!" Tata said breathing heavily.

"That is because the undead show no signs of exhaustion! They simply keep coming even when body parts fall off!" Glenn stated as he sheathed his blade.

The duo took the time to search the room and found several rooms connected to it. The rooms contained coffins, some empty and others sealed. Glenn found left over treasures and equipment left in the crypts. They then left these rooms and ventured deeper into the catacombs and began hearing the moaning again. Following the moans through the seemingly endless corridors and tunnels, they eventually came to a large open space. Heavily polluted water lie in ankle deep puddles around the place. Undead frogs croaked while bathing in the putrified puddles and skeletons stood overlooking them. Just like before, Glenn had instructed and readied Tata and they assaulted the blighted beasts, destroying them one by one until none remained. They avoided the waters and pressed on, pursuing more moans.

After another long maze of dead ends in the darkness, they came to a large room. They peered inside and bore witness to an altar with a strange red glowing object being examined by an individual in a full body cloak and hood. This individual was surrounded by the undead, who seemed to obey him. The room was also filled to the brim with various torture and execution devices. Glenn whispered to Tata, "Look, that must be the Lich causing these cadavers to rise!"

"A Lich is a sorcerer, right?" Tata asked.

"Yes, once we slay the cad, this spell will be broken!" Glenn confirmed. "Let us proceed!"

Tata nodded with a hard swallow as Glenn bravely entered the room. The Lich turned immediately and gazed at them, its skull burning with hatred for the living and its eye sockets gleaming with crimson light. The Lich pointed its finger toward Glenn and all the monsters turned their gaze to them. With a wave of the sorcerer's hand, the undead gave a war cry and began to attack. Glenn and Tata backed slowly as to allow only a few to attack them at a time so they could properly deal with their numbers. With Glenn's skill in sword arts, they quickly dispatched the angry undead leaving only an irritated Lich. The sorcerer spoke, "We will have our revenge, Guardian!" said the Lich through gnashed teeth.

"You do not belong here! The dead should not walk among the living!" Glenn said as took a special stance and water magically surrounded his feet. "I shall cleanse this abomination with water, Bubble Burst!" Glenn prayed as he cast forth a large bubble with many smaller bubbles inside. The spell encapsulated the wizard and it burst like a bomb, showering the ground with water. The Lich lie in pieces on the ground.

Then the object it was inspecting upon the altar levitated and glowed with a menacing crimson light. It opened and took the shape of a still red flame. "That must be the 'Frozen Flame' the King talked about!" Tata said astonished.

A voice came from the flame, "Ah, you must be the Frog man after reclaiming his human form!" mocked the familiar voice. "And your apprentice now has the curse? How ironic!"

Glenn's memories flooded back to him upon hearing the voice. "No, it cannot be. You, the callous fool that was placed as General of Zeal? I thought you to be dead, or worse! How is it that you still live?" he asked bewildered.

"Fool? Me? I have attained immortality! I am one with this splinter of the mighty Lavos! And you? Still a lowly knight even after getting back your form! You don't even seem to have your 'Ruby Knife' with you anymore! What happened? Did you lose it gambling with drunks? Or perhaps, just maybe, these frogs took it! How deliciously ironic!" Dalton laughed heartily.

Glenn became angry, but still controlled his temperament, "So this ugly jewel is a part of that vile beast? I should feel horrid that it was through that monster's power that allowed us to rise as a kingdom, but I shall sort those feelings another day. You however, have gone the same way the Queen of Zeal has gone. Drunk off of a false God's power! I shall destroy it and you!" Glenn said as he brought down his sword on the Flame.

"No, why do all of you idiots try that?! You can't destroy the Frozen Flame with such a measly weapon!" Dalton chastised as the power of the Flame repelled Glenn.

Glenn lay on the ground his blood veins glowing through his skin, "What is this foolery? What has happened to me?!"

Dalton's anger rose as he gave a strong shout, "Not you too! Why won't the Flame give ME this power?! I will figure this out! But first, I like the events I see unfolding here! Your kingdom besieged by amphibians. The undead lurk beneath your very feet. I will punish ALL who oppose me!"

The Lich from before rose again. This time it chanted a spell that caused all the extra flesh and bone that was left over from the enemies they had faced to come to it and merge with it. The already grotesque creature morphed into an even more hideous form. It had become a dark blue, slimy blob-like worm with a huge gaping maw and yellow glowing eyes. It filled the room with death's odor as it opened its mouth and gave a deep moan that no man or beast make. Tata was scared stiff, but Glenn protected him. "Stay behind me Tata! This enemy may be too much for you to handle!" Glenn instructed.

Dalton mocked Glenn, "Have fun dealing with this little Deadhead! I'm sure that without your little holy sword you will find it most difficult to deal with yourself!"

The monster stood up like a snake would and it cast forth a dark spell. The spell bathed the surrounding area in black with several violet rings pulsating beneath their feet like small waves of water created by droplets in a puddle. Dark oily shadows scurried around and seemed to devour both Glenn and a now panicked Tata. Glenn was overcome with weakness, "My Water magic has been severely diminished! Tata, calm yourself! This spell was meant for me!" Glenn said as the darkness vanished. Tata was breathing heavily, but calmed down a little after realizing he was unharmed.

Glenn attempted his water magic, but quickly found that it was merely making the monster wet rather than causing any real damage. When he did so the creature retaliated with a dark gaseous breath that was as dark as chimney smoke. Glenn threw himself in its wake to protect Tata. Tata collapsed and could only watch as his Master suffered to preserve his life. Glenn coughed and wheezed, his sword strikes and water magic seemingly useless. He turned to Tata, "Tata, stand! Go, leave this place! I shall slay this monster!"

Tata stuttered through his crying, "B-but..., M-mas...ster Gl... enn!"

"Do as I say Tata, there should be no undead left roaming the halls, go, leave now while you still can! I told you! I would protect your life with my own, as that's what my teacher had done for me!" Glenn said as Tata rose to his shaking feet. He closed his eyes and about faced, but as he turned to hop away the Deadhead reached out past Glenn with its gooey tongue and grabbed the boy.

Glenn grabbed Tata's hands as he went by. All he could do was scream incoherently, as he could not form words due to his fear stricken state. He struggled to hold onto Glenn, not wanting to be eaten. "Tata, the second principle I will teach you, is that a man never goes back on his word!" Glenn said as his muscles tightened and he was enveloped by a bronzed aura. With a bright flash of light, Glenn transformed. His hair shined like molten bronze and his eyes shined a golden light. With superhuman speed, Glenn leaped over Tata, "Take this and leave this world, abomination! Nirvana Break!" Glenn shouted as his sword shined with a blinding light. He brought it down and the environment seemed to shatter like glass as it broke the Deadhead into chunks of bone and flesh. Tata was set free before the monster could even draw him into its mouth. The monster was so heavily damaged that its parts dissolved instead of recombining.

Dalton went into a frenzy, "No, no, no, no, NO! Begone forever, into the depths of darkness in time!"

Dalton used the Flame's power to open a Gate, "What, this cannot be! Tata, escape now while you have the chance!" Glenn shouted as he was being drawn into the portal.

Tata jumped to his feet still struck with fear and he began hopping away. However, he kept his head turned to his master angry at himself because he could do nothing. Unfortunately, Tata ran into something. As he turned his head, both he and Glenn saw one of the Frog King's minions. A large frog stood in Tata's path, blocking his exit. The frog bellowed, "Now what's going on down here?"

Glenn's hand remained outstretched as the portal closed on him, "TATAAA!" he screamed as it sent him through time and space. The Frozen Flame also vanished without so much as a single trace.

*End of Chapter*


	15. Act 3 - Ch15-A: Rise of Guardia, Part 1

Chrono Corruption

ACT 3: Origin of the Flame

Chapter 15-A: Rise of Guardia, Part 1

*End of Time*

Crono opened his eyes suddenly and he sat up, startled. "What happened?" he cried out as he looked around the room. Everyone was waiting for him to wake up. Everyone had arrived at the End of Time.

"Well, there's sleeping beauty!" Ty joked with a chuckle.

Marle came in close and grabbed his shoulder, "Are you alright sweetie? What was with the gold hair thing?"

"Yes, I would like to know what that was all about as well!" Lucca followed, adjusting her glasses.

"It has to be something we all got from the Frozen Flame! Ty and I got Magic that way," Tomo chimed in.

Crono got up from his resting place, "Then let's go ask Gaspar. Maybe he'll know," he said.

As a group they left the resting area and congregated around Gaspar, telling him of the events that transpired in the Ice Age. Gaspar was astonished, "So you say you... transformed? Your hair changed color and you became like a... super self?"

"Yeah, I felt like I could touch the sky! My body was so light in weight as if nothing could hold me back. Everything was in slow motion to me and my sword felt like it could cut anything!" Crono said ecstatically.

Gaspar stared off into space recalling some old memories. He then spoke, "Could it be? The 'Enlightenment' the Zealians were searching for all those years in Zeal?"

"Enlightenment?" Lucca said astonished.

"Yes, long ago when the Frozen Flame gave us the ability to perform Magic we sought out greater things with it. Lavos may have been the source of that power, but we shaped and molded it. Near the end of Zeal, we three Gurus hypothesized that their was something... else beyond Magic that we may be able to attain. However, as you know, the Queen got to close to the sun and burned up, so to speak," Gaspar explained.

"Wow, it sure was a shame we couldn't have studied Zeal more before it fell. These things would have been nice to know!" Lucca stated.

"Everything has its time Lucca," Gaspar said. "Anyway, it sounds like the Flame has affected all of you. So the power know lies within you. You just need to bring it out as Crono here has."

"Does this phenomenon have a name or title?" Lucca asked curiously.

Gaspar took a moment to think, "...I believe we called it, the 'Aura Surge', due to the person's spiritual essence gaining a surge of power strong enough to become visible to the naked eye."

"Neat!" Crono said cheerfully.

"...So, we should all be able to do it then?" Marle asked hoping for confirmation.

"You were all struck with the Flame's energy, so yes, logically I don't see a reason why you would not be able to do as Crono did," Gaspar reiterated.

"Alrighty, now that we got that out of the way, how do we trigger it?" Ty asked curiously.

"When I did it, it was because Marle and the rest of you were in danger. I kinda wished in my heart that I could do something to change the situation and then, 'boom'! That happened," Crono explained.

Ty starred off into space for a moment, "Hmm, so it's triggered by a need and an intense desire?"

"Ty what are you thinking?" Tomo asked worriedly.

"Maybe I should go into the Prison of Time and grind a little. Maybe I'll discover my own need. Anybody want to come with?" Ty asked invitingly.

"Hold that thought Ty, we need to decide what to do about Dalton first," Lucca said urgently.

"That's right, but where was he trying to send us?" Marle asked worriedly.

"Probably the same place he sent Tomo and I the first time we encountered him," Ty started. "A strange place where time and space meant nothing."

"...But there were to many of us, so we just ended up back here at the End of Time," Lucca deduced.

"Good thing too, I don't want to go back into the darkness with those weird anomalies!" Tomo said shivering.

"Let's start with what we've learned," Lucca started. "Dalton seems to be able to see through the Flame wherever it is in history. So basically, he's been sitting in his own little pocket dimension binge watching history as we know it. However, he doesn't seem to have the power to change where the Flame goes or when or where it's been."

"He's much like Schala once was. He's now the Flame's 'Arbiter'," Gaspar interjected.

"'Arbiter'? What is that exactly?" Crono asked puzzled.

"Schala was the only one who could manipulate the Flame's energy. Originally, it was the King of Zeal, but when he passed it fell to Schala. I do not know why," Gaspar explained. "However, we do know, that there can be only one Arbiter at a time."

"So we kill Dalton and destroy the Flame with him, and just make sure history plays out like it should," Ty said flatly.

"Easier said than done, I'm afraid. If Dalton is watching events throughout history, then he may be searching for something that can allow him to fully control the Flame," Gaspar said worriedly. "If he does, then who knows what he will be able to do with it."

"All right, I guess our next move is to see what era he's looking into next!" Crono said.

"We need to stop Dalton from acquiring the means to control the Flame," Marle added. "If he's after something, we can find out what by following him and then beating him to whatever he's after!"

"Sounds like a plan!" Ty started. "I'll go to the Prison of Time first and see if I can't learn this 'Aura Surge' thing. Anyone else?"

Marle whispered to Lucca, "Now's your chance to be alone with him! Get to know him better! What do you say?"

Lucca blushed and seemed uneasy. Her eyes shifted back and forth unsure of what she should do. She stood for a few moments trying to gather her thoughts, but it was too late. Tomo stepped forward with her hand cheerfully raised. "I will, you and I train a lot together! Let's see if we can't do this together!" she said happily.

"Alrighty, let's go for the gold!" Ty said as he and Tomo began heading to the prison. "Oh and Crono, don't be afraid to switch any of us in if you need us!"

"Will do!" Crono said with a smile.

Marle grumbled as she clenched her fists into her chest, "Ohh, you missed a golden opportunity there Lucca!"

Lucca gave her the cold shoulder, "Hmph, I didn't really want to in the first place! Can we just go, we're wasting valuable time here!"

"That's right, we should probably be going," Crono said oblivious to their conversation.

Crono went off ahead with Lucca behind. Marle thought to herself, "My goodness you are a hard nut to crack, Lucca!"

As they reached the pillars of light that were Gates, they found that a new one had emerged. "Let's see, there's one that leads to the Ice Age and now we have this one. I wonder where it goes?" Crono thought out loud.

"Only one way to find out!" Marle said as the three joined hands and Lucca activated her Gate Key. With a bright light the three had vanished into the fabric of time.

*?*

The trio appeared in the mountains. It was also spring time as the morning sun was rising and melting the frost where it shined. "Wow, what a beautiful morning!" Marle said with admiration.

"Yeah, but when are we?" Crono said as he looked around.

Lucca then noticed something. In the far distance, she could see a landmass to the north and to the south. "Hey, we're on the young summit of the Denadoro Mountains! It's not as high, so we must be in the past. This is probably where we will fight for the Grandleon in the future! And according to the Gate Key, this Gate connects to the one we found in the Ice Age, near the equator."

"Well then, let's do a little hiking while we're here!" Crono said cheerfully.

Marle giggled, "And by hiking, you mean training on the local creatures! Your not scared that Ty will get ahead of you, are you?"

Crono scratched the back of his head with a mischievous grin, "Ah, you caught me!"

"Let's get moving then," Lucca urged flatly.

With that, they began descending the young mountain range. The Denadoro Mountains were quite a sight even in the past. The spring blossoms filled the hills and valleys with pretty shades of white, green and yellow. The gang fought their way through the local wildlife as intended, polishing their skills along the way. Eventually, they came to the base of the rocky hills and to their surprise there was a pine forest awaiting them. It was not as thick and lush as Fiona's Forest was in the future but there definitely was one here. "Amazing, this must be what the forest looked like before the war that Magus started!" Lucca said with amazement.

"So that Retinite monster we destroyed in the Middle Ages destroyed this forest? How far back are we?" Marle asked curiously.

Crono deduced, "Hey, I think I know what era we're in! The Denadoro Mountains are nothing but hills with only a small range, this forest is still standing, could we be... in the era of the barbarians? You know, when Guardia was established?"

Lucca gasped, "You may be right Crono! I remember those recordings in some of my old history books! If that's the case, then I wonder if we get to see Guardia's historical victory?"

"Well then, let's find a nearby village and get some supplies and info!" Marle suggested strongly.

"There should be a village where Fiona's house is in the Middle Ages. It was the second largest village on South Zenan before the village of Dorino!" Lucca informed. "So we head south from here."

With that, the party headed south into the great forest. The forest was filled with tall, hardy pine trees. Their scent filled the slowly warming atmosphere. Crono and his friends continued their practice fending off local wildlife and camping when necessary when they came to the end of a day. After a few days, they finally reached the village they were searching for.

"Here we go!" Marle said cheerfully.

The village was quite large and filled with wooden homes with straw covered roofs as well as some homes built into the hills. The villagers were dressed in leather tunics and dress of all kinds that were adorned with furs and strings. Weapons, armor and other armaments made from a strange petrified wood were stored around the village. The lack of adult males was also noted. A cute girl with blonde hair took notice of them immediately. She stood near the banner that was inscribed with the name of the village. It read, "San Dorino".

She approached with a smile, "Greetings travelers, are you from afar?"

"Yeah, pretty far actually," Crono stated uneasily. "So this village is called 'San' Dorino? Not just Dorino?" he questioned.

The girl responded, "Oh yes, it is name after our village priest San Dorino! If you would like, he can give you a brief history lesson!"

"Oh, um, actually, we came wondering what stories are being told in this land!" Marle said hamming it up. "We heard rumors of wars and famines and plagues!"

"Oh yes, what perilous times these are!" started the girl. "San Dorino has much more knowledge of these things if you wish to know!"

"Very well, so where can we find your priest?" asked Lucca.

"He is at a small chapel at the center of town! See, you can see it with your own eyes even here!" she said pointing to the small shrine.

"Many thanks!" Crono said gratefully.

Crono and his friends went to the shrine and found it uncanny to Fiona's Shrine, the structure they were responsible for in the future. A short elderly man, dressed in a white friars robe sat at a chair up on the pulpit while only three nuns prayed, scattered around the room. He seemed distressed as Crono approached, "Oh, greetings lad, how can an old man like me serve you today?" he said trying to keep his calm.

"You seem a tad flustered, is everything alright?" Marle asked with concern.

He seemed relieved that he needn't hold his facade any longer, "Are you travelers from a distant land?"

"Yeah, were from very far away. We heard rumors of bad things, so we came to see if they were true," Marle said while acting.

"Oh yes, my dear," he started woefully. "Allow my to introduce myself, I am San Alba Dorino. I am the 'father' of the tribe of people here in this village called the Dorinites. In these dark days, the Guardia tribe seeks to unite all the tribes who live upon the continent with force. Their leader, Irma Guardia is a woman who seeks an ancient mythical jewel known as the Frozen Flame. With it she believes all the tribes of Zenan will be united... whether we want it or not."

"Tribes of Zenan...?" Crono asked confused.

"Ah yes, long ago this entire continent was ruled by a tribe of peoples called the Zenanites. From their name, they named this continent, the Zenan continent," Dorino started. "The Zenanites quickly grew into splinter tribes, their brothers and sisters, and filled the land. This has been going on since Antiquity. The splinter tribes are as follows, the Guardians, the Manolians, the Denadorites, the Dorinites and the Porreans. The Chorusians, cousins of the Guardians, went west overseas to find their own land and the Regionnans, the Gerzbuehlans, and the Medinans went east to find their own lands as well."

"Wow, I didn't realize how many tribes their were," Marle said enlightened.

"The Medinans found their own continent, but they and the Regionnans and Gerzbuehlans fight the Fiends for the lands even now," Dorino added.

"I think we know how that one turns out...," Lucca whispered to Marle.

"...No doubt...," Marle agreed.

Crono spoke up, "So is everyone after this treasure?"

"It would appear so, but I received nightmares that tell of this treasure's evil influence!" said Dorino.

"Oh? Please tell us of these nightmares!" Marle encouraged.

"Very well, young lass," Dorino said holding back his fear. "I see darkness. A flame erupts from the depths of our lush planet. Not a comfortable flame that burns to keep one warm and light one's path, but a flame of destruction. A flame that boils seas, burns skies and turns the land desolate and broken. The people huddle in fear dressed in rags as they cling to life. Truly this flame will bring about these things if it is found!"

"Hey, he's talking about 1999 A.D.!" Marle whispered.

"Yeah, but he thinks the apocalypse is caused by the Frozen Flame as opposed to Lavos. So he thinks it's in this era instead," Lucca stated.

Crono continued, "Your dream is terrifying, for we have had 'visions' of our own!" he acted, masking his truth slightly.

"Then you believe the wisdom bestowed upon me by the Goddess of Fate? You are wise travelers indeed! But we believe Irma is within grasp of the Flame as we speak. Her chosen hero, a man named, Lex Blueriver, has incredible might and is rumored to use the ancient art of Magic that was once thought to be a fairytale of Antiquity!"

"Thank you for your insight elder, but we must be going," Crono said, ending the conversation.

"Be careful out there children! Let the Goddess of Fate guide you!" Dorino said waving them off.

Outside the chapel, Crono and his team huddled, "I remember hearing the stories of Irma Guardia when I was a little girl," Marle began.

"Wasn't she the so called 'Matriarch of Guardia'? The one that established the Matriarchal Monarchy, that we live under in our time?" Crono asked, trying to recall history.

"Yes, Irma is my great ancestor, so she likely has my pendant with her. She was a strong warrior and very wise. Her chosen hero, Lex Blueriver, is the first person to ever receive the Hero's Medal!" Marle elaborated.

"So that means that Irma and Lex have to win this thing in order for history to play out as it naturally has," Lucca stated.

"Alright, so where do we go from here?" Crono asked.

"Well, Dalton might want to find a way to interrupt this era, so I say we find Irma and make sure Dalton doesn't try anything to screw this up," Lucca suggested.

As they finished, the villagers began to run as a group of barbarians rushed into town with torches and swords drawn. "I think that's our cue to leave!" Crono stated as he and the ladies quickly made their exit.

On the outskirts of San Dorino, Crono and his gang watched helplessly as history played out as it had done in their history books. "...Crono..., I know this is supposed to happen, but I can't watch..., let's leave, please...," Marle begged with tears in her eyes.

Crono took his bride and his friend and they left the village as quickly as they had entered. They did not look back as they went from a walk to a brisk run to escape to carnage. From here, they headed south to the Town of Porre.

*Prison of Time*

Ty and Tomo exited a prison cell drenched in sweat. "That was a good work out! I'm getting stronger already! My Wind Spiral can become a Wind Storm now!"

"Yeah, it's really encouraging when you see results quickly isn't it? I advanced my Earth Rumble into Earth Quake!" Tomo said as she stretched. "I learned three new monster moves too! I learned how to Absorb life force, Make Waves of water magic and generate a Crimson Rain! That Absorb spell came in handy for this training!"

"Yeah, you're really pounding them down!" Ty said jokingly.

"In more ways than one!" she giggled.

"Only problem is..., Wind Storm takes up so much stamina to use! Can't exactly use that one repeatedly!" Ty mentioned.

"Seeing as how advancing our magic takes up so much energy it seems we have a long way to go yet!" Tomo said as they both sat down. She chuckled and blushed, "That's okay with me though. It's not like I want this to end so quickly anyway..."

Ty seemed off in his own little world as what she said suddenly grabbed his attention, "Heh, we have all the time we need down here!" he said with a laugh. "...Speaking of which, since time doesn't move here, I wonder how long we've been in here."

"Dunno, but I think it's great!" Tomo said happily. "We can train without feeling rushed."

"True, but so far I can't seem to get a grasp on this Aura Surge thing...," Ty said mashing his fingertips into his forehead.

"Me either, I wonder if it's because we haven't fought tough enough opponents?" Tomo wondered. "Gaspar said it needed to be a great need or desire and we haven't exactly had that yet."

Ty stood back up and straightened his clothes, "Hmm...," he mused.

"What are you thinking about?" Tomo asked as she also rose to her feet.

"...Then I guess... I'll just have to go and pick a fight with something that'll kill me, or maybe, someone I care about...," he mumbled at the end of his sentence.

Tomo was mystified, she blushed then smiled, "Okay then, let's do it! We'll figure this out! Just like we always do!"

*Town of Porre, Dawn of Guardia*

After traveling for a long while, Crono and his friends entered the Town of Porre. It greatly resembled the village of San Dorino, but much larger. It seemed to already be taken by the Guardia tribe. Crono faced his friend and wife, "I think it's best if we split up and see if we can't find information about Irma and Lex," he suggested.

"Right, I'll go to the Blacksmith and ask about some supplies. It's about time we update our equipment too!" Lucca said as she began walking away.

"I'll see if I can't find Irma, or maybe just some info on her if she's not here. See you in a bit sweetie!" Marle complied with her sweet tone.

With that they broke up and began scouring the town. Lucca easily found the blacksmith's place and went up to him, but he chided his wife about letting people into his work space. "Woman, haven't ah told you not ta let folks back here when I'm workin'?" he complained.

The wife quickly signaled for Lucca to come over to her and get out of his way. "Ah, I don't see why yer makin' such a fuss! People like ta see yer work!" she said as Lucca quietly stepped away. She faced the wife of the blacksmith and adjusted her glasses, "Do ya need some work done, young lady? Ya don't look like yer from around here," she went on.

Lucca cleared her throat, "Ahem, ah yes, I would like to place a large order actually."

"Such a well mannered young lady! Now what can I get ya?" the wife asked professionally.

"What can your husband craft?" Lucca asked curiously.

"Have ya any Godwood, or perhaps Gum Rubber?" the wife asked.

"Godwood? Gum Rubber?" Lucca asked puzzled.

"Ah, yes, let me explain!" she began cheerfully. "Godwood is a mysterious petrified wood that is popular nowadays despite its rarity. It is the main ingredient in the latest armor and weapons! We compliment it with Gum Rubber from the trees in the forest up north. Mixing Gum Rubber with Leather Hides makes great armor for people who want more flexibility! In addition, we decorate them with Amber gems that we cut and fasten into the equipment!"

"Ah, I see, yes I have plenty of those ingredients!" Lucca said as she pulled some from her bag.

The two made conversation until Lucca laid out all that she needed from the blacksmith and his tailors. "Okay, so let me see if we have this right; you want our Godwood Scimitar with an Elvish Tunic and Elvish Legguards with an Amber Gem Bandanna; a Godwood Recurve with a Dryad's Suit and Amber Ribbon; a set of Godwood Wheel-Locks with a Maliae's Hood and Amber Lens Loupe; a set of Godwood Falcatas, a Treefolk Jacket, a set of Treefolk Shortpants and Amber Visors; and finally, a Godwood Gavel, a Gaea Short-Coat, a Gaea Belt and Godwood Bracers. Wheew! That's quite an order! I'll give this and the materials to my husband! Thank you so much for all this work!" she thanked Lucca as Lucca handed her the money.

*Meanwhile, with Marle*

Marle wandered the village and got some strange glares from many of the villagers only for them to retract those glares as if the person realized she wasn't the person they thought she was. A young teen threw a pebble at her, "Get out Irma, we don't want your truce!" he said, only to realize that she was not Irma. He gasped and came to her apologetically, "I am terribly sorry Miss! I thought you were Irma Guardia! Your resemblance to her is uncanny, frightening even!" he said, a little pale.

Marle approached the boy, "Does this Irma resemble me that much?"

"Oh yes, I thought you her when I threw the stone! Since I am mistaken, Irma must still be elsewhere in town," the boy realized.

"Do you know where she might be?" Marle asked.

"She is likely still with the Priest," the boy replied.

"Thank you! Oh, and for the record, you shouldn't throw stones at pretty girls! You'll never find a wife doing that!" Marle said waving her finger. She then turned and headed for the largest building in town.

Marle made it to the large stone building and she entered. It was much like the Manolia Cathedral, a small amount of people in brown robes prayed silently to themselves as Marle approached the back of a woman who was speaking to the druid-like prophet. The prophet seemed to relent to her demands, "Very well Irma, do what seems fit to you. We of the tribe of Porre surrender to you and your rule...," he said reluctantly.

"Good, there shall be no more bloodshed this day. You are a wise man prophet," she replied.

"However, if your rule brings hellfire upon this world then let it fall upon your head, Irma!" he said sternly.

She scoffed, "No such thing shall occur!" she said as she turned around.

As she turned around she locked eyes with Marle and her face went a tad pale. Irma greatly resembled Marle as the boy from earlier stated. Her strawberry blonde hair was tied in a braided ponytail and her blue eyes were more cat-like in terms of shape. She wore plate armor; shoulder pads, a breastplate, gauntlets, a girdle with hip guards, and greaves made of Bronze and fastened with Godwood accents. Underneath the armor she wore a red sleeveless shirt and she wore black skin tight shorts. Finally, she wore a yellow scarf, Marle's Pendant around her neck and had a familiar sword at her hip. She was aghast, "What manner of sorcery is this?" she said. "Is this an illusion brought on by you prophet?"

"Nay, I know that woman not!" the prophet said fearfully, referring to Marle.

"Who are you?" Irma demanded.

"My name is Marle," she said carefully.

"Where do you come from? From what tribe?" Irma demanded further.

"I am from the tribe of Guardia and... I have been on a long journey that I am returning from!" Marle acted hoping to keep Irma satisfied.

"You seem, so familiar to me," Irma said, her eyes widening with a sense of joy. "Could you be? A long lost sister?"

Thinking quickly, Marle decided that she use her pendant as proof, "Yes, I have a similar pendant to yours! We are undoubtedly kin!"

Irma's eyes brightened with joy, "Surely you and I are sisters! What a joyous occasion this is! Fate has returned a sister to me! Come, we are headed north passed Denadoro. There a town in my name stands! We shall go there and make merry!" Irma stated.

"May I bring my husband and friend?" Marle asked, being polite.

"It would be good of you to bring them!" Irma said with open arms. "Come let us gather our things and depart. Surely you long for home!"

"Okay, let's go!" Marle said, proud of herself.

*Crono at the Tavern*

Crono scanned the tavern for anyone who might look heroic enough to be Lex. Then, someone caught his eye. This person was exactly the same height as Ty and he had a long sword made from Godwood on his back that was not resting in a scabbard. Crono approached the man from his side so he could hear the conversation between the man and the bartender. "What do you ask of me Guardian?" the bartender asked the tall man.

The man replied, "I simply ask for fresh water," he replied.

"Very well," the bartender said as he took the man's animal skin canteen and dipped it into a wooden barrel filled with water.

He handed it back and the man took a long drink. After a sigh of refreshment he noticed Crono's gaze. "Is something the matter?" he asked flatly. He had short blonde spiky hair that was slicked back and two bangs framed his face, hiding his blue eyes at times. He had a lean build and his sword's placement on his back revealed him to be right handed. He was covered in silver bands, the one's on his wrists even had amber gems placed in them. He wore them on his neck, upper arms, and wrists. He wore a Blue Vest with light grey trousers under a Spriggan Loincloth that reached his knees and covered the entirety of his lower body that was held up by a silver belt with a Hero's Medal on the buckle. Finally, he wore plate boots made of silver.

Crono seemed surprised at first, coming out of his focus, "Do you know a Lex Blueriver?" he asked.

"I am he..., and you are?" the man replied.

"Ah, great, my name's Crono! Can I ask you about the Frozen Flame?" Crono asked naturally.

Lex nearly spit up his water, "Not so loud stranger! Come, let us leave this place! There are to many ears!" he said as he beckoned Crono to leave with him. Behind the tavern, Lex asked quietly, "What do you know of the Flame?" he asked engrossed with interest.

Crono tried to think of something, but drew a blank, "Um..., not much, just the name really!" he said nervously.

"Ah, so you don't even know of its location?" Lex asked.

"No, do you?" asked Crono.

"Lady Irma believes so," Lex began. "We have discovered a structure in the depths of the forest that lies on the northernmost area of Zenan. We have made a small encampment at its entrance. We have discovered that the ruins are of Fiendish origin!" Lex said with excitement.

"Oh really? That's incredible! Have you opened it?" Crono asked curiously.

"No, but Lady Irma has drawn the sword of legend from the Hills of Denadoro! So that means she is to rule all of Zenan!" he spoke proudly. "We believe the sacred sword is the key to opening the ruins. After we are done with Porre we are then returning to our Town of Irma to create a truce between all of the tribes. After that, we will do everything in our power to enter the ruins!"

"I see, that's great news!" Crono said, acting cheerfully.

"By your reaction, you must be of the tribe of Guardia?" Lex asked hoping he guessed right.

"Yes, I'm a Guardian," Crono replied.

"Splendid, I am from Chorus and I was hand picked by Lady Irma to be her chosen knight after a grueling trial many years ago! How great things will be for us of the tribe of Chorus!" Lex boasted.

Crono, knowing the future of Chorus, hid his discomfort. "Well, I should be off to find my wife and friend. Thank you for your time!" Crono said as he attempted to leave.

Lex stopped him, "Please wait! If you are Guardian you should head toward the Town of Irma where we intend to complete the truce between the nations! It shall be a historic moment!"

"I'll be sure to be there!" Crono said running off.

*Later*

Crono and Lucca regrouped with Marle who was now her ancestor's new best friend. Irma formally introduced herself to Crono and Lucca, "I am Irma Guardia and I understand that you are my sister's husband?" she said facing Crono. Crono nodded quietly as Irma faced Lucca, "Ah, then you must be his concubine?" she asked.

Crono tried to hide a laugh as Lucca blushed fiercely, "No, I'm just a companion of their's," she said keeping her frustration under wraps.

Marle giggled and placed her hand over her mouth politely as Crono teased her, "I don't know Lucca, if you don't want Ty, you can always be my concubine!" he said trying to hold back a laugh.

"...Seriously you guys..., stop it," Lucca said in a calm frustration. "That's not even legal anymore...," she mumbled.

A voice shouted to them, it was Lex, "Greetings Lady Irma, I have returned!" he said. He noticed Marle and turned to Crono, "You did not tell me your wife is like a twin to Lady Irma! Is this your servant?" he said turning to Lucca.

Lucca's frustration nearly peaked, but she quickly realized something, "That's not..., technically wrong. I do serve Guardia as a scientist...," she mumbled to her self.

Marle finally interjected, "No, she is a great friend of ours! She is really smart and knows things I can't even pronounce!"

Irma's interest was peaked, "Is this woman truly that intelligent? If so then maybe she would be able to help us enter the ruins in the forest!"

"Ruins?" Lucca replied.

"Yes, the large stone door has been sealed, we believe, since Antiquity! We believe that inside, lies the legendary Frozen Flame! My sister! Your husband looks like a strong man and your friend an intelligent woman! Would you be so kind as to assist us at the ruins after the truce is fulfilled?" Irma asked hopefully.

"Absolutely!" Marle said cheerfully.

"Then it is settled! Let us head for home!" Irma stated excitedly. With that, the party left Porre with Irma, Lex and a few able bodied warriors. She left others behind to keep the peace in Porre.

*Town of Irma*

Upon reaching the Town of Irma many days later, everyone settled in and made merry with the return of Lady Irma. The elected members from each tribe of the Zenanites; the Guardians, the Manolians, the Chorusians, the Denadorites, the Dorinites, the Medinans, the Regionnans and finally the Gerzbuehlans all gathered around Irma to sign a massive parchment with all the amendments that the new world would live by. They did so as they murmured and mumbled hoping the world would not end because of this. With all the names signed, Irma became the first Princess of Guardia, "Let it be known to all who attend! A great thing happens this day! From this day onward, this town shall now be known as the Village of Truce! For it was the town we have all gathered to come together under one banner! The Kingdom of Guardia is born!" she announced with many clapping and cheering.

*End of Chapter*


	16. Act 3 - Ch15-B: Rise of Guardia, Part 1

Chrono Corruption

ACT 3: Origin of the Flame

Chapter 15-B: Rise of Guardia, Part 1

*End of Time*

Crono opened his eyes suddenly and he sat up, startled. "What happened?" he cried out as he looked around the room. Everyone was waiting for him to wake up. Everyone had arrived at the End of Time.

"Well, there's sleeping beauty!" Ty joked with a chuckle.

Marle came in close and grabbed his shoulder, "Are you alright sweetie? What was with the gold hair thing?"

"Yes, I would like to know what that was all about as well!" Lucca followed, adjusting her glasses.

"It has to be something we all got from the Frozen Flame! Ty and I got Magic that way," Tomo chimed in.

Crono got up from his resting place, "Then let's go ask Gaspar. Maybe he'll know," he said.

As a group they left the resting area and congregated around Gaspar, telling him of the events that transpired in the Ice Age. Gaspar was astonished, "So you say you... transformed? Your hair changed color and you became like a... super self?"

"Yeah, I felt like I could touch the sky! My body was so light in weight as if nothing could hold me back. Everything was in slow motion to me and my sword felt like it could cut anything!" Crono said ecstatically.

Gaspar stared off into space recalling some old memories. He then spoke, "Could it be? The 'Enlightenment' the Zealians were searching for all those years in Zeal?"

"Enlightenment?" Lucca said astonished.

"Yes, long ago when the Frozen Flame gave us the ability to perform Magic we sought out greater things with it. Lavos may have been the source of that power, but we shaped and molded it. Near the end of Zeal, we three Gurus hypothesized that their was something... else beyond Magic that we may be able to attain. However, as you know, the Queen got to close to the sun and burned up, so to speak," Gaspar explained.

"Wow, it sure was a shame we couldn't have studied Zeal more before it fell. These things would have been nice to know!" Lucca stated.

"Everything has its time Lucca," Gaspar said. "Anyway, it sounds like the Flame has affected all of you. So the power know lies within you. You just need to bring it out as Crono here has."

"Does this phenomenon have a name or title?" Lucca asked curiously.

Gaspar took a moment to think, "...I believe we called it, the 'Aura Surge', due to the person's spiritual essence gaining a surge of power strong enough to become visible to the naked eye."

"Neat!" Crono said cheerfully.

"...So, we should all be able to do it then?" Marle asked hoping for confirmation.

"You were all struck with the Flame's energy, so yes, logically I don't see a reason why you would not be able to do as Crono did," Gaspar reiterated.

"Alrighty, now that we got that out of the way, how do we trigger it?" Ty asked curiously.

"When I did it, it was because Marle and the rest of you were in danger. I kinda wished in my heart that I could do something to change the situation and then, 'boom'! That happened," Crono explained.

Ty starred off into space for a moment, "Hmm, so it's triggered by a need and an intense desire?"

"Ty what are you thinking?" Tomo asked worriedly.

"Maybe I should go into the Prison of Time and grind a little. Maybe I'll discover my own need. Anybody want to come with?" Ty asked invitingly.

"Hold that thought Ty, we need to decide what to do about Dalton first," Lucca said urgently.

"That's right, but where was he trying to send us?" Marle asked worriedly.

"Probably the same place he sent Tomo and I the first time we encountered him," Ty started. "A strange place where time and space meant nothing."

"...But there were to many of us, so we just ended up back here at the End of Time," Lucca deduced.

"Good thing too, I don't want to go back into the darkness with those weird anomalies!" Tomo said shivering.

"Let's start with what we've learned," Lucca started. "Dalton seems to be able to see through the Flame wherever it is in history. So basically, he's been sitting in his own little pocket dimension binge watching history as we know it. However, he doesn't seem to have the power to change where the Flame goes or when or where it's been."

"He's much like Schala once was. He's now the Flame's 'Arbiter'," Gaspar interjected.

"'Arbiter'? What is that exactly?" Crono asked puzzled.

"Schala was the only one who could manipulate the Flame's energy. Originally, it was the King of Zeal, but when he passed it fell to Schala. I do not know why," Gaspar explained. "However, we do know, that there can be only one Arbiter at a time."

"So we kill Dalton and destroy the Flame with him, and just make sure history plays out like it should," Ty said flatly.

"Easier said than done, I'm afraid. If Dalton is watching events throughout history, then he may be searching for something that can allow him to fully control the Flame," Gaspar said worriedly. "If he does, he'll be able to alter any even in time he wants."

"All right, I guess our next move is to see what era he's looking into next!" Crono said.

"We need to stop Dalton from acquiring the means to control the Flame," Marle added. "If he's after something, we can find out what by following him and then beating him to whatever he's after!"

"Sounds like a plan!" Ty started. "I'll go to the Prison of Time first and see if I can't learn this 'Aura Surge' thing. Anyone else?"

Marle whispered to Lucca, "Now's you chance to be alone with him! Like a date! What do you say?"

Lucca blushed and seemed uneasy. Her eyes shifted back and forth unsure of what she should do. However, she decided to do something she had never done before. Act before thinking. "I'll accompany... you!" she said pretending to clear her throat. She cut off Tomo who was about to say something, but relented with a smile.

"Oh, I was gonna, but it's okay if you want to!" Tomo replied.

Marle silently cheered her on, "Yes, that'a girl Lucca! Go get him!"

"Well, shall we go?" Lucca said uneasily.

"Alrighty, let's go for the gold!" Ty said as he and Lucca began heading to the prison. "Oh, and Crono, don't be afraid to switch any of us in if you need us!"

"Will do!" Crono said with a smile.

Tomo transformed into her slim state, "Well, we should get going!" she said energetically. "I can't let Ty beat me! I'll get the Aura Surge first!"

Crono went off with Tomo following behind. Marle thought to herself, "This is the perfect chance for you Lucca! Don't waste it!"

As they reached the pillars of light that were Gates, they found that a new one had emerged. "Let's see, there's one that leads to the Ice Age and now we have this one. I wonder where it goes?" Crono thought out loud.

"Only one way to find out!" Marle said as the three joined hands and Crono activated the Gate Key. With a bright light the three had vanished into the fabric of time.

*?*

The trio appeared in the mountains. It was also spring time as the morning sun was rising and melting the frost where it shined. "Wow, what a beautiful morning!" Marle said with admiration.

"Yeah, but when are we?" Crono said as he looked around.

Tomo then noticed something. In the far distance, she could see a landmass to the north and to the south. "Hey, we're on the young summit of the Denadoro Mountains! It's just a bunch of small craggy hills in this era!"

Crono realized something, "This is probably where we will fight for the Grandleon in the future! And according to the Gate Key, this Gate connects to the one we found in the Ice Age, near the equator. "Well then, let's do a little hiking while we're here!" Crono said cheerfully.

Marle giggled, "And by hiking, you mean training on the local creatures! Your not scared that Ty will get ahead of you, are you?"

Crono scratched the back of his head with a mischievous grin, "Ah, you caught me!"

"Let's do it! I'm eager for some training!" Tomo said with excitement.

With that, they began descending the young mountain range. The Denadoro Mountains were quite a sight even in the past. The spring blossoms filled the hills and valleys with pretty shades of white, green and yellow. The gang fought their way through the local wildlife as intended, polishing their skills along the way. Eventually, they came to the base of the rocky hills and to their surprise there was a pine forest awaiting them. It was not as thick and lush as Fiona's Forest was in the future but there definitely was one here. "Wow, this must be what the forest looked like before the Fiendlord's men demolished it!" Tomo said as she gazed at all the tall trees.

"So that Retinite monster we destroyed in the Middle Ages destroyed this forest? How far back are we?" Marle asked curiously.

Crono deduced, "Hey, I think I know what era we're in! The Denadoro Mountains are nothing but hills with only a small range, this forest is still standing, could we be... in the era of the barbarians? You know, when Guardia was established?"

Tomo smiled, "Should be, all my studies say the barbaric age was when Guardia united all the tribes of Zenan under the Guardian Kingdom. This must be when that happens!"

"Well then, let's find a nearby village and get some supplies and info!" Marle suggested strongly.

"According to all the maps I've studied, the old Dorino village should be south of here," Tomo indicated.

With that, the party headed south into the great forest. The forest was filled with tall, hardy pine trees. Their scent filled the slowly warming atmosphere. Crono and his friends continued their practice fending off local wildlife and camping when necessary when they came to the end of a day. After a few days, they finally reached the village they were searching for.

"Here we go!" Marle said cheerfully.

The village was quite large and filled with wooden homes with straw covered roofs as well as some homes built into the hills. The villagers were dressed in leather tunics and dress of all kinds that were adorned with furs and strings. Weapons, armor and other armaments made from a strange petrified wood were stored around the village. The lack of adult males was also noted. A cute girl with blonde hair took notice of them immediately. She stood near the banner that was inscribed with the name of the village. It read, "San Dorino".

She approached with a smile, "Greetings travelers, are you from afar?"

"Yeah, pretty far actually," Crono stated uneasily. "So this village is called 'San' Dorino? Not just Dorino?" he questioned.

The girl responded, "Oh yes, it is name after our village priest San Dorino! If you would like, he can give you a brief history lesson!"

"Oh, um, actually, we came wondering what stories are being told in this land!" Marle said hamming it up. "We heard rumors of wars and famines and plagues!"

"Oh yes, what perilous times these are!" started the girl. "San Dorino has much more knowledge of these things if you wish to know!"

"Is the Priest available today? Where do we go?" Tomo asked.

"He is at a small chapel at the center of town! See, you can see it with your own eyes even here!" she said pointing to the small shrine.

"Many thanks!" Crono said gratefully.

Crono and his friends went to the shrine and found it uncanny to Fiona's Shrine, the structure they were responsible for in the future. A short elderly man, dressed in a white friars robe sat at a chair up on the pulpit while only three nuns prayed, scattered around the room. He seemed distressed as Crono approached, "Oh, greetings lad, how can an old man like me serve you today?" he said trying to keep his calm.

"You seem a tad flustered, is everything alright?" Marle asked with concern.

He seemed relieved that he needn't hold his facade any longer, "Are you travelers from a distant land?"

"Yeah, were from very far away. We heard rumors of bad things, so we came to see if they were true," Marle said while acting.

"Oh yes, my dear," he started woefully. "Allow my to introduce myself, I am San Alba Dorino. I am the 'father' of the tribe of people here in this village called the Dorinites. In these dark days, the Guardia tribe seeks to unite all the tribes who live upon the continent with force. Their leader, Irma Guardia is a woman who seeks an ancient mythical jewel known as the Frozen Flame. With it she believes all the tribes of Zenan will be united... whether we want it or not."

"Tribes of Zenan...?" Crono asked confused.

"Ah yes, long ago this entire continent was ruled by a tribe of peoples called the Zenanites. From their name, they named this continent, the Zenan continent," Dorino started. "The Zenanites quickly grew into splinter tribes, their brothers and sisters, and filled the land. This has been going on since Antiquity. The splinter tribes are as follows, the Guardians, the Manolians, the Denadorites, the Dorinites and the Porreans. The Chorusians, cousins of the Guardians, went west overseas to find their own land and the Regionnans, the Gerzbuehlans, and the Medinans went east to find their own lands as well."

"Wow, I didn't realize how many tribes their were," Marle said enlightened.

"The Medinans found their own continent, but they and the Regionnans and Gerzbuehlans fight the Fiends for the lands even now," Dorino added.

"That doesn't end to well," Tomo mumbled.

"...No doubt...," Marle agreed.

Crono spoke up, "So is everyone after this treasure?"

"It would appear so, but I received nightmares that tell of this treasure's evil influence!" said Dorino.

"Oh? Please tell us of these nightmares!" Marle encouraged.

"Very well, young lass," Dorino said holding back his fear. "I see darkness. A flame erupts from the depths of our lush planet. Not a comfortable flame that burns to keep one warm and light one's path, but a flame of destruction. A flame that boils seas, burns skies and turns the land desolate and broken. The people huddle in fear dressed in rags as they cling to life. Truly this flame will bring about these things if it is found!"

"Hey, he's talking about 1999 A.D.!" Marle whispered.

"Yeah, but it looks like he thinks it's much earlier than that," Tomo agreed.

Crono continued, "Your dream is terrifying, for we have had 'visions' of our own!" he acted, masking his truth slightly.

"Then you believe the wisdom bestowed upon me by the Goddess of Fate? You are wise travelers indeed! But we believe Irma is within grasp of the Flame as we speak. Her chosen hero, a man named, Lex Blueriver, has incredible might and is rumored to use the ancient art of Magic that was once thought to be a fairytale of Antiquity!"

"Thank you for your insight elder, but we must be going," Crono said, ending the conversation.

"Be careful out there children, Let the Goddess of Fate guide you!" Dorino said waving them off.

Outside the chapel, Crono and his team huddled, "I remember hearing the stories of Irma Guardia when I was a little girl," Marle began.

"Wasn't she the so called 'Matriarch of Guardia'? The one that established the Matriarchal Monarchy, that we live under in our time?" Crono asked, trying to recall history.

"Yes, Irma is my great ancestor, so she likely has my pendant with her. She was a strong warrior and very wise. Her chosen hero, Lex Blueriver, is the first person to ever receive the Hero's Medal!" Marle elaborated.

"Yeah, Irma and Lex win and they make a truce for all the tribes, uniting them as it says in the history books," Tomo stated.

"Alright, so where do we go from here?" Crono asked.

"I think we should find them and make sure history plays out as it should! That crazy rat Dalton may try to interfere with it if we don't!" Tomo warned.

As they finished, the villagers began to run as a group of barbarians rushed into town with torches and swords drawn. "I think that's our cue to leave!" Crono stated as he and the ladies quickly made their exit.

On the outskirts of San Dorino, Crono and his gang watched helplessly as history played out as it had done in their history books. "...Crono..., I know this is supposed to happen, but I can't watch..., let's leave, please...," Marle begged with tears in her eyes.

Crono took his bride and his friend and they left the village as quickly as they had entered. They did not look back as they went from a walk to a brisk run to escape to carnage. From here, they headed south to the Town of Porre.

*Prison of Time*

Ty and Lucca exited a prison cell drenched in sweat. "That was a good work out! I'm getting stronger already! My Wind Spiral can become a Wind Storm now!"

"Yes, your improvements are astounding! And it looks like I got my Fire Blast spell back up to par, maybe even better!" she boasted with a laugh.

"Yeah, your flames are really pretty and full of passion!" Ty complimented.

Lucca blushed and cleared her throat, "Magic takes power of the heart after all!" she laughed nervously.

"Only problem is..., Wind Storm takes up so much stamina to use! Can't exactly use that one repeatedly!" Ty mentioned.

"The higher level the spell, the power stamina it draws from you. You still have some ways to go and even I have some ground to cover," Lucca said encouragingly. "...But, it's not like... well what I mean is... nah, it's nothing. I lost my train of thought," she finished with a blush.

Ty seemed off in his own little world as what she said suddenly grabbed his attention, "Heh, well if your worried about time, we have all the time we need down here!" he said with a laugh. "...Speaking of which, since time doesn't move here, I wonder how long we've been in here."

"I can't be certain, but it's nice not to feel rushed isn't it?" Lucca asked.

"Yeah it is, but I can't seem to get a grasp on this 'Aura Surge' thing...," Ty said mashing his fingertips into his forehead.

"Me neither, I wonder if our calculations are off. Have we fought strong enough opponents?" Lucca wondered. "Gaspar said that it requires a great need or desire, but we haven't needed one."

Ty stood back up and straightened his clothes, "Hmm...," he mused.

"Um, what is it, do you have an idea?" Lucca asked as she also rose to her feet.

"...Then I guess... I'll just have to go and pick a fight with something that'll kill me, or maybe, someone I care about...," he mumbled at the end of his sentence.

Lucca blushed as she became mystified, "Does he mean me? I mean me specifically, or does he mean in general? He must be talking about Tomo..."

*Town of Porre, Dawn of Guardia*

After traveling for a long while, Crono and his friends entered the Town of Porre. It greatly resembled the village of San Dorino, but much larger. It seemed to already be taken by the Guardia tribe. Crono faced his friend and wife, "I think it's best if we split up and see if we can't find information about Irma and Lex," he suggested.

"I'll head to the smithy and see if I can get us stocked up on our supplies and get some new equipment!" Tomo said with a smile.

"I'll see if I can't find Irma, or maybe just some info on her if she's not here. See you in a bit sweetie!" Marle complied with her sweet tone.

With that they broke up and began scouring the town. Tomo easily found the blacksmith's place and went up to him, but he chided his wife about letting people into his work space. "Woman, haven't ah told you not ta let folks back here when I'm workin'?" he complained.

The wife quickly signaled for Tomo to come over to her and get out of his way. "Ah, I don't see why yer makin' such a fuss! People like ta see yer work!" she said as Tomo quietly stepped away. She faced the wife of the blacksmith and smiled, "Do ya need some work done, young lady? Ya don't look like yer from around here," she went on.

"Yep, sure do, I need quite a few things, if you don't mind!" Tomo said.

"Such a well mannered young lady! Now what can I get ya?" the wife asked professionally.

"What can he make?" Tomo asked curiously.

"Have ya any Godwood, or perhaps Gum Rubber?" the wife asked.

"Yep, I'm glad that Godwood is still around! You can't get it, uh, where I'm from!" Tomo said being vague.

"Ah, yes, I'm actually afraid we'll run out someday!" she began. "Godwood is a mysterious petrified wood that is popular nowadays despite its rarity. It is the main ingredient in the latest armor and weapons! We compliment it with Gum Rubber from the trees in the forest up north. Mixing Gum Rubber with Leather Hides makes great armor for people who want more flexibility! In addition, we decorate them with Amber gems that we cut and fasten into the equipment!"

"Yep, we grinded for a lot of it on the way here!" Tomo chuckled.

The two made conversation until Tomo laid out all that she needed from the blacksmith and his tailors. "Okay, so let me see if we have this right; you want our Godwood Scimitar with an Elvish Tunic and Elvish Legguards with an Amber Gem Bandanna; a Godwood Recurve with a Dryad's Suit and Amber Ribbon; a set of Godwood Wheel-Locks with a Maliae's Hood and Amber Lens Loupe; a set of Godwood Falcatas, a Treefolk Jacket, a set of Treefolk Shortpants and Amber Visors; and finally, a Godwood Gavel, a Gaea Short-Coat, a Gaea Belt and Godwood Bracers. Wheew! That's quite an order! I'll give this and the materials to my husband! Thank you so much for all this work!" she thanked Tomo as Tomo handed her the money.

*Meanwhile, with Marle*

Marle wandered the village and got some strange glares from many of the villagers only for them to retract those glares as if the person realized she wasn't the person they thought she was. A young teen threw a pebble at her, "Get out Irma, we don't want your truce!" he said, only to realize that she was not Irma. He gasped and came to her apologetically, "I am terribly sorry Miss! I thought you were Irma Guardia! Your resemblance to her is uncanny, frightening even!" he said, a little pale.

Marle approached the boy, "Does this Irma resemble me that much?"

"Oh yes, I thought you her when I threw the stone! Since I am mistaken, Irma must still be elsewhere in town," the boy realized.

"Do you know where she might be?" Marle asked.

"She is likely still with the Priest," the boy replied.

"Thank you! Oh, and for the record, you shouldn't throw stones at pretty girls! You'll never find a wife doing that!" Marle said waving her finger. She then turned and headed for the largest building in town.

Marle made it to the large stone building and she entered. It was much like the Manolia Cathedral, a small amount of people in brown robes prayed silently to themselves as Marle approached the back of a woman who was speaking to the druid-like prophet. The prophet seemed to relent to her demands, "Very well Irma, do what seems fit to you. We of the tribe of Porre surrender to you and your rule...," he said reluctantly.

"Good, there shall be no more bloodshed this day. You are a wise man prophet," she replied.

"However, if your rule brings hellfire upon this world then let it fall upon your head, Irma!" he said sternly.

She scoffed, "No such thing shall occur!" she said as she turned around.

As she turned around she locked eyes with Marle and her face went a tad pale. Irma greatly resembled Marle as the boy from earlier stated. Her strawberry blonde hair was tied in a braided ponytail and her blue eyes were more cat-like in terms of shape. She wore plate armor; shoulder pads, a breastplate, gauntlets, a girdle with hip guards, and greaves made of Bronze and fastened with Godwood accents. Underneath the armor she wore a red sleeveless shirt and she wore black skin tight shorts. Finally, she wore a yellow scarf, Marle's Pendant around her neck and had a familiar sword at her hip. She was aghast, "What manner of sorcery is this?" she said. "Is this an illusion brought on by you prophet?"

"Nay, I know that woman not!" the prophet said fearfully, referring to Marle.

"Who are you?" Irma demanded.

"My name is Marle," she said carefully.

"Where do you come from? From what tribe?" Irma demanded further.

"I am from the tribe of Guardia and... I have been on a long journey that I am returning from!" Marle acted hoping to keep Irma satisfied.

"You seem, so familiar to me," Irma said, her eyes widening with a sense of joy. "Could you be? A long lost sister?"

Thinking quickly, Marle decided that she use her pendant as proof, "Yes, I have a similar pendant to yours! We are undoubtedly kin!"

Irma's eyes brightened with joy, "Surely you and I are sisters! What a joyous occasion this is! Fate has returned a sister to me! Come, we are headed north passed Denadoro. There a town in my name stands! We shall go there and make merry!" Irma stated.

"May I bring my husband and friend?" Marle asked, being polite.

"It would be good of you to bring them!" Irma said with open arms. "Come let us gather our things and depart. Surely you long for home!"

"Okay, let's go!" Marle said, proud of herself.

*Crono at the Tavern*

Crono scanned the tavern for anyone who might look heroic enough to be Lex. Then, someone caught his eye. This person was exactly the same height as Ty and he had a long sword made from Godwood on his back that was not resting in a scabbard. Crono approached the man from his side so he could hear the conversation between the man and the bartender. "What do you ask of me Guardian?" the bartender asked the tall man.

The man replied, "I simply ask for fresh water," he replied.

"Very well," the bartender said as he took the man's animal skin canteen and dipped it into a wooden barrel filled with water.

He handed it back and the man took a long drink. After a sigh of refreshment he noticed Crono's gaze. "Is something the matter?" he asked flatly. He had short blonde spiky hair that was slicked back and two bangs framed his face, hiding his blue eyes at times. He had a lean build and his sword's placement on his back revealed him to be right handed. He was covered in silver bands, the one's on his wrists even had amber gems placed in them. He wore them on his neck, upper arms, and wrists. He wore a Blue Vest with light grey trousers under a Spriggan Loincloth that reached his knees and covered the entirety of his lower body that was held up by a silver belt with a Hero's Medal on the buckle. Finally, he wore plate boots made of silver.

Crono seemed surprised at first, coming out of his focus, "Do you know a Lex Blueriver?" he asked.

"I am he..., and you are?" the man replied.

"Ah, great, my name's Crono! Can I ask you about the Frozen Flame?" Crono asked naturally.

Lex nearly spit up his water, "Not so loud stranger! Come, let us leave this place! There are to many ears!" he said as he beckoned Crono to leave with him. Behind the tavern, Lex asked quietly, "What do you know of the Flame?" he asked engrossed with interest.

Crono tried to think of something, but drew a blank, "Um..., not much, just the name really!" he said nervously.

"Ah, so you don't even know of its location?" Lex asked.

"No, do you?" asked Crono.

"Lady Irma believes so," Lex began. "We have discovered a structure in the depths of the forest that lies on the northernmost area of Zenan. We have made a small encampment at its entrance. We have discovered that the ruins are of Fiendish origin!" Lex said with excitement.

"Oh really? That's incredible! Have you opened it?" Crono asked curiously.

"No, but Lady Irma has drawn the sword of legend from the Hills of Denadoro! So that means she is to rule all of Zenan!" he spoke proudly. "We believe the sacred sword is the key to opening the ruins. After we are done with Porre we are then returning to our Town of Irma to create a truce between all of the tribes. After that, we will do everything in our power to enter the ruins!"

"I see, that's great news!" Crono said, acting cheerfully.

"By your reaction, you must be of the tribe of Guardia?" Lex asked hoping he guessed right.

"Yes, I'm a Guardian," Crono replied.

"Splendid, I am from Chorus and I was hand picked by Lady Irma to be her chosen knight after a grueling trial many years ago! How great things will be for us of the tribe of Chorus!" Lex boasted.

Crono, knowing the future of Chorus, hid his discomfort. "Well, I should be off to find my wife and friend. Thank you for your time!" Crono said as he attempted to leave.

Lex stopped him, "Please wait! If you are Guardian you should head toward the Town of Irma where we intend to complete the truce between the nations! It shall be a historic moment!"

"I'll be sure to be there!" Crono said running off.

*Later*

Crono and Tomo regrouped with Marle who was now her ancestor's new best friend. Irma formally introduced herself to Crono and Tomo, "I am Irma Guardia and I understand that you are my sister's husband?" she said facing Crono. Crono nodded quietly as Irma faced Tomo, "Ah, then you must be his concubine?" she asked.

Tomo cocked her head to the side with a blank expression, "No, I'm a guide, we're not from around here, but I know a lot about travel!"

Crono and Marle laughed and giggled respectfully, but they attempted to keep it quiet. Crono apologized to her, "Sorry Tomo, your not exactly my type, per se!" he said as politely as he could.

"That's okay, I like taller guys myself!" Tomo said with a grin. Crono slumped from the rather insensitive remark, "Besides, having a concubine isn't even legal anymore!"

A voice shouted to them, it was Lex, "Greetings Lady Irma, I have returned!" he said. He noticed Marle and turned to Crono, "You did not tell me your wife is like a twin to Lady Irma! Is this your servant?" he said turning to Tomo.

"Hello, yeah, I'm serving as a guide!" Tomo stated.

Marle interjected, "In a way, she's much more a friend than a servant! She really knows her way around the world and explores scary dungeons and dangerous ruins"

Irma's interest was peaked, "Is this woman that well traveled? If so then maybe she would be able to help us enter the ruins in the forest!"

"Ruins?!" Tomo said with starry eyed interest.

"Yes, the large stone door has been sealed, we believe, since Antiquity! We believe that inside, lies the legendary Frozen Flame! My sister! Your husband looks like a strong man and your friend a seasoned adventurer! Would you be so kind as to assist us at the ruins after the truce is fulfilled?" Irma asked hopefully.

"Absolutely!" Marle said cheerfully.

"Then it is settled! Let us head for home!" Irma stated excitedly. With that, the party left Porre with Irma, Lex and a few able bodied warriors. She left others behind to keep the peace in Porre.

*Town of Irma*

Upon reaching the Town of Irma many days later, everyone settled in and made merry with the return of Lady Irma. The elected members from each tribe of the Zenanites. The Guardians, the Manolians, the Chorusians, the Denadorites, the Dorinites, the Medinans, the Regionnans and finally the Gerzbuehlans all gathered around Irma to sign a massive parchment with all the amendments that the new world would live by. They did so as they murmured and mumbled hoping the world would not end because of this. With all the names signed, Irma became the first Princess of Guardia, "Let it be known to all who attend! A great thing happens this day! From this day onward, this town shall now be known as the Village of Truce! For it was the town we have all gathered to come together under one banner! The Kingdom of Guardia is born!" she announced with many clapping and cheering.

*End of Chapter*


	17. Act 3 - Ch16-A: Rise of Guardia, Part 2

Chrono Corruption

Act 3: Origin of the Flame

Chapter 16-A: Rise of Guardia, Part 2

*Newly Formed Town of Truce*

The Town of Irma was now officially the Town of Truce. The people who loved the turn of events hailed Irma and made merry and partied with strong drinks and heavy foods. Those who hated it quickly departed to return to their homes. After the night gave way to day, the merrymakers gathered themselves up and headed for their homes as well. Irma called for Marle, "Where is my sister? I must speak with her," she said. Crono and his party were called to the Magistrate's Hut to meet Irma. "Ah, there you are. We must make haste to the Guardia Forest! I humbly ask you to join me sister! You, your husband and your servant," Irma bowed her head in respect.

"Absolutely! We would be honored!" Marle said with a royal tone.

Irma became happy, but then thought of something, "Ah, but even with you three and my chosen Hero, Lex, we still don't have enough able bodies to help. All my men are strewn throughout the lands. I would have to bring some back, but that would take days," Irma said stressed.

Crono rose his hand, "We have two more friends if that would be enough!"

Irma's attention was snared, "Truly? Would you be able to bring them here more promptly than I?" she asked with hope.

Lucca pulled Crono and Marle into a huddle, "How exactly do we bring Ty and Tomo here? The only Gate we are aware of is back at the Hills of Denadoro!"

Marle whispered, "Yeah, but the Hills are much closer then say, Medina or Porre!" she said.

"True, so let me go get them! It'll still take some time, but much less than what Irma has in mind!" Crono explained.

"Are you sure you'll be alright by yourself?" Marle asked worriedly.

"I'll be fine, just give me any new equipment for them and I'll be as swift as a hummingbird!" Crono said with a thumbs up gesture.

"Okay, if you insist," Lucca relented worriedly.

The party brought their plan to Irma, who liked it much better than waiting for help from elsewhere. Crono sorted out all their new equipment sold off what they did not need and Crono left swiftly.

*Prison of Time*

Ty emerged from one of the pillars of light followed by Tomo, "Heh, looks like that's as far as I can go right now...," Ty said panting.

"Gah, I almost have it I swear!" Tomo moaned.

Ty looked around and noticed one more pillar of light, it was a red one, "Hey, there's a strong one in that one! Want to do one more?" Ty asked with a grin.

"I'm exhausted, but pushing our limits is the only way, so let's go!" Tomo said eagerly.

They approached the pillar and held hands with a slight blush on their faces. The pillar took them to a time that was discarded. The environment was strangely familiar, too familiar. "Hey Tomo, isn't there something eerie about this boat we're on right now?" Ty said pale as a ghost.

"You mean like how it's our ship?" Tomo muttered, also white as a sheet.

They were aboard their ship, the Radical Dreamer. They stood on deck looking over the El Nido Sea. It was frozen in time. Behind them, they could hear mechanical noises and they both slowly looked over their shoulders to find the ship docked next to Captain Viper's ship. Standing before them however, were the two puppets, Mustarl and Ralsh.

"I can't believe it! It's these two!" Ty said in awe.

"I know, this is creepy as all hell!" Tomo added.

Mustarl and Ralsh rushed to them as quickly as two mechanical puppets could. The green lanky one, Ralsh focused its attacks on Ty, while Mustarl focused on Tomo. Ty found it much easier now to dodge Ralsh's swings then when he first encountered it. Tomo was the same. Ty struck back with his weapon, "Yikes, these suckers are still hard as a brick!" he said as his weapon did little damage.

Tomo's hammer staggered Mustarl to a degree, but it didn't make any lasting effects. She grunted, "You bet they are, but this time, I'm gonna break them!"

"Agreed, this time I have Magic!" Ty said as he summoned a Wind Spiral. He blasted Ralsh with the tornado, but something strange happened. Ralsh's green armored body gleamed as the Wind Spiral was seemingly negated.

Tomo also found that her Earth Rumble spell was negated by Mustarl. "It shrugged mine off too!" she said perilously.

"Then let's try something a little heavier!" Ty said as his muscles bulked as he placed himself in a more stable stance. His body glowed with a green aura as he built up his magic.

"Ty no! You're body's already exhausted!" Tomo warned strongly.

"Wind Storm!" Ty shouted as he summoned two large tornados that enveloped both robots. Ralsh negated the spell, but Mustarl was damaged. "Ha! I knew I would get somewhere!" he said exhausted. His muscles pulsated painfully from the overuse of magic.

Tomo followed, her muscles bulked and she was enveloped with yellow aura, "Earth Quake!" she shouted strongly. The two robots were shaken by the ground beneath their feet and pummeled with large stones. However, the opposite happened. Mustarl negated the spell and Ralsh took damage.

The duo locked eyes and nodded as they knew to attack the opposite foe. The two puppets took a lot more damage from magic then from physical assaults. Ty attacked Mustarl and the puppet fought back just as hard, delivering harsh slams on him. Ralsh was fast, but Tomo found her Monster Magic to make good on the situation as well as her elemental magic.

Each duo traded blows until Mustarl and Ralsh reveled a new trick. "Ga pi ga pi!" Ralsh whirred as a magical energy emitted from its entire body. Mustarl did the same and was now bathed in a yellow light. "They have magical powers too? How?" Tomo asked dumbfounded.

"Your guess is as good as mine!" replied a battered Ty.

The spells the two puppets cast on themselves increased their physical capabilities. Ralsh was now to fast for Tomo to hit and Mustarl was to tough for Ty to hurt. The puppets quickly overwhelmed them both as they fought to stay conscious. They each looked at one another weakly. Ty spoke weakly, "Come on Tomo! Stay with me! I got one more trick up my sleeve. If that doesn't work, then it's Aura Surge or we break!" he said strongly.

They got to their feet, Tomo gave Ty a momentary glance and blushed, "Wow, he looks so manly right now... All that battle damage and he still doesn't give up!" she thought. "Alright, what's this last trick?" Tomo asked with a wheeze.

"Sure you can handle it? Your looking a little red!" Ty chuckled.

She regained her composure, "I- I"m fine! I can take it!"

"We combine our new two spells! Wind Storm and Earth Quake! If that don't destroy them, well, it's up to fate after that!" Ty explained.

"You got it, I sure hope our bodies can handle the stress!" Tomo said with a prayer.

The duo synced their magical powers and their bodies were pushed to the limits and beyond. As the puppets came within range, the two unleashed their spell, "Sandstorm 2!" they shouted in unison. A massive upheaval of magical rocks shook the two robots and two tornados broke the rocks down into sand, engulfing the machines until they could no longer be seen and eventually, heard. When the spell ended, the two machines were completely destroyed. Almost no large parts were intact. Mustarl and Ralsh were torn to pieces. With that, the two were transported back to the Prison of Time's main room.

They collapsed, breathing heavily. "Wow, we beat them!" Ty said with a chuckle.

"Yeah we did, we showed them who's boss!" Tomo said as she suddenly reverted to her normal fat form.

"Why, did you turn back to normal?" Ty asked in surprise.

"Ugh, I must have pushed my body to far... Still, that was a great idea Ty!" she applauded.

"Well, let's go rest for now, I doubt there's anything more we can do at this point," Ty suggested.

Tomo agreed and they went back to the End of Time. Crono was there to greet them, "Hey you two, wow, you look like you've been training real hard! Did you two master the Aura Surge?" Crono asked excitedly.

"Nah, not yet, but we're probably getting close," Ty said with a little disappointment.

"Yeah, we really should get patched up first before we try again," Tomo added.

"That's okay, I'm sure whatever progress you made will still be useful!" Crono assured. "Also, you two need to come with me!"

"You totally thought our training was more important than what you came back here by yourself to tell us, didn't you?" Ty said with suspicion.

Crono scratched the back of his head with a mischievous grin, "Heh, it crossed my mind!" he said. Getting back to the task at hand, Crono brought the two up to date. They patched themselves up, armed themselves with new gear and away they went.

*Town of Truce*

After a few days passed, Crono had made great time getting back to the town. Ty and Tomo introduced themselves and everyone seemed to get along just fine. Irma stood before them, "Very good then, I am impressed that you have such a dependable husband! These two explorer's and their skills will make a great addition to our cause!" she said joyfully. "Now then, let us collect all our belongings and be on our way, yes?"

*Forest of Guardia, Base Camp*

After some time passed, the party journeyed into the depths of the antiquated Guardia Forest and up to the camp that was situated at the base of a large mesa. Set into the mesa was a massive door that was once covered with overgrowth, but it had been recently cleared by Irma's foot soldiers. On the large stone door, archaic motifs were carved into it. Everyone settled in for the stay. Ty, Tomo and Lucca began examining the door to find any clues on how to open it.

"Hmm, well these characters are definitely of Fiend origin," Ty reassured.

"Yes, but it seems to be a much older dialect I believe," Tomo added.

"How far back? Antiquity perhaps?" Lucca asked, adjusting her glasses.

"Oh definitely!" Ty confirmed. "Did you know that we have found evidence that the Fiends actually came out from a hole in the ground?"

"No I didn't know that. I thought the Enlightened Ones of the Kingdom of Zeal created them!" Lucca said using her knowledge of Zeal. "...But now that I think about it, Mamba Jamba was proof that they are much older than we thought."

"While we never found any sort of ruins or texts that say cities floated up in the skies, we did find ancient Fiendish writings that constantly talk about a fiery pit that they emerged from that dates all the way back to the Ice Age. However, it's met with speculation, because we could never find the site of the hole," Tomo explained further. "But as you said, since we encountered Mamba Jamba back in the Ice Age, that proves it for me!"

"...But knowing the Fiends, they probably sealed it up or something with magic of their own," Ty theorized.

"Then, could it possible that the Zealians studied them and tried to experiment on them?" Lucca shuddered.

"It's a distinct possibility. From what you told us about Zeal, it sounds like a place where people could reach into things they shouldn't be," Ty said sternly.

"You have no idea...," Lucca mumbled, recalling past events.

"Ah, I think I got it!" Tomo said with a jolt of joy. "It seems to be sealed with a mysterious energy! It has the same insignia as those little black chests we can't open. You know, the one's we dig up every now and again? The text on the door keeps mentioning a Dreamstone made artifact of some kind. I'll bet Irma got in here on the original time line with her pendant!"

"Oh, is that so? In that case, we have both Marle's and Irma's version at the same time!" Lucca laughed confidently.

"Hmm, it's also a ward. The inscriptions clearly want the 'idiots' who try to enter here to know they are indeed 'idiots' if they open it, due to the danger," Ty warned. "We should let the others know what we found. It isn't possible to get anymore information on this door due to wear and tear over the ages."

Tomo jumped up and trotted off in a hurry, "Hey Marle! We need your pendant!" she said enthusiastically.

And so, Crono, Marle, Lucca, Ty, Tomo and Lex all surrounded Irma as she and Marle approached the door with their pendants shimmering in the sun's rays that were coming from the treetops over head. Irma stated a prayer as she held her pendant high, "Oh please, Goddess of Fate! Hear my plea! Let this door be opened, so that we may claim what lies inside and with it, create a better world!" she prayed diligently.

"Me too!" Marle said childishly, unsure what to say.

The pendants began to glow red and the door did the same as a mysterious force had suddenly been lifted from it. The door lifted as the sound of stone grinding on stone could be heard. A nasty 'breath' of air emanated from the now open door. With that, Irma's pendant became dark and empty.

Crono approached the door, "Well, shall we? Daylight's burning!" he said enthusiastically, his hand on his sword.

With that, Irma wished them her best, "Blessings be upon all of you!" she said as all six adventurer's entered the structure.

After trekking through a long hallway, the party came to a foyer-like room that was decorated with a gothic style decor. The candles sprung to life with blue fire as a heavy spiritual presence came to life in the room. Tomo shivered, "This place gives me the creeps!"

"Yeah, it feels like I'm being watched from everywhere all at once," Ty claimed tensely.

Crono gazed up a flight of carved stairs and noticed two separate doorways they could take, "So it looks like we'll have to split up."

"Alright who wants left?" Marle asked.

"I'll take left...," Ty said.

"I shall go with Mister Drayguard," Lex added.

"Oh, I'll go with you two, too!" Tomo said, jumping in.

"Okay then, that leaves us three!" Crono said looking at his wife and best friend.

"I wouldn't leave you anyway Crono sweetie!" Marle said drawing close.

"...Shall we get moving?" Lucca said bringing them out of the moment.

The two teams went their separate ways, Crono's party to the right and Ty's party to the left. Crono and his party walked cautiously down the dark corridor. "This reminds me of Magus's old castle, only older and a lot more spookier!" Lucca said growing anxious.

"Yeah, I got goose bumps all over!" Marle stated as she rubbed her arms as if she were cold.

"You know something? I think I know where we are," Crono said with a revelation. Marle and Lucca blinked and stared as they waited for the answer. "This place must be... the Guardia Catacombs in our time!"

"Of course! This mesa is where the castle will be built after all!" Lucca said, also putting the pieces together.

As they came to this revelation, they came to an open room that was a crypt, "Uh, guys, I don't mean to spoil the revelation, but it looks like the Fiends may have practiced necromancy down here!" Marle said, pointing out all the skeletons strewn throughout the room. The skeletons began to rattle as they sprung to life armed with scythes and spears. Using Magic, Crono's team quickly dispatched the undead.

"Well, that wasn't so bad!" Crono said, sheathing his sword.

Crono's party found nothing of interest in the room so they moved forward. They walked through a large door way and found themselves in a castle ballroom. "Wow, the Fiends actually lived down here!" Marle said as she gazed at the masonry.

Just then, Ty's voice came from an upper level balcony, "Hey guys, find anything useful down there?" he asked.

"Nope, nothing of interest!" Lucca stated. As she finished her last word, a flicker of light and a cold presence entered the room. Shadowy formless blobs with simplistic humanoid shapes manifested before them. They seemed to lock arms with one another and perform a slow dance, ignoring the two groups.

Tomo shivered, "Yikes! Ghosts!"

"They appear to be Fiend spirits...," Lex pointed out.

"...And some Humans are mixed in too...," Ty added with a shiver.

"I do not wish to know why both Humans and Fiends shared this dark place...," Lex claimed with his face growing pale.

Crono began walking through the room and noticed one ghost that sat alone at the wall. He approached it and it manifested into a vampiric looking woman in a red dress. She seemed as though she had been crying so much her face was red. She began to speak, "...No one... wants to dance... with me...," her spirit sobbed.

"Awe...," replied Crono.

"That's so sad, being left out like that...," Marle said gloomily.

"Why don't you see if she wants to dance Crono? It may ease her spirit," Lucca suggested.

"What?! No way, he's MY husband!" Marle whined.

Crono calmed her down, "It's only a dance sweety. Plus it's to ease someone else's suffering," Crono explained. "I'm gonna see if it works. If it doesn't you can scold me later," he added as he turned from his wife and approached the ghost, "Would you care to dance...?" he asked nervously.

The spirit still seemed saddened, but responded, "You are nice, but I would prefer a female actually..."

Crono face faulted into the floor as Lucca slapped Marle on the back, "Now it's your turn, sister!"

"What, you mean me?" Marle exclaimed fearfully. "Oh well, this is better than seeing Crono with someone else I suppose," she said as she approached. "W-would you like to dance...?" she asked, fearful at the thought of dancing with a ghost.

The ghost lightened up with a shining expression, "Really? You mean it?"

"...S-sure...," Marle said with a fake smile. The ghost stood up and was at eye level with her and the spirit grabbed her hand and pulled her out into the middle of the ballroom. Marle blushed with embarrassment as the ghoul starred at he seductively and danced wonderfully. A strange slow melody emanated throughout the room. This went on for a few minutes as Marle danced with her. Finally, the song came to an end as the other spirits left one by one and the woman's spirit also left with a satisfied look on her face. Marle was left with a Blood Dress in her arms.

Ty's cheering could be heard from the balcony, "Way to go Princess! Shake it!" he continued to chuckle, amused by the turn of events.

"Wow, you danced so well she gave you her clothes," Tomo said flatly.

"Just be thankful Lady Marle, that your dancing was enough for her!" Lex added, also chuckling.

A couple of arrows flew their way, "Don't you guys have something better to do?" Marle growled comically.

"That reminds me! There are lots of rooms up here! Probably like hotel rooms or something! Let's go check'em out guys!" Ty said as his party left with him.

Marle moaned, "That was so embarrassing!"

Ty and his party found themselves in a long hallway with many rooms just as Ty had said. Ty hummed as he approached the closest door, "Might as well start somewhere! Maybe we'll find some loot!" he said as he flung open the creaky wooden door. A couple of ghosts were inside on the dusty old bed. A vampiress in a dominatrix outfit was whipping a human male spirit as he moaned pleasurably. The vampiress's spirit turned to the pale adventurer and beckoned him with a finger. Ty quickly closed the door with a fearful look on his face, "NOPE!" he said strongly. "Let's try some other room shall we?"

"I take it that there was another ghost in there?" Tomo asked unnerved.

"Let's just go. I don't want to think about it," he replied.

"I agree, the dead linger here, so the longer we stay the more chance we have of getting a curse," Lex warned.

And with that, the trio checked all other rooms down the long hallway. They busted up animated skeletons and other undead and looted the rooms for goods. Eventually, they came to a small circular room at the end of the hallway that held a large statue of a woman. The statue came to life and Ty and Tomo decimated it with magic. Lex was surprised, "You two can perform Magic?!"

"Yeah, so can Crono and the girls...," Ty started. Ty informed Lex on all he needed to know about their magical talents, bringing him up to speed.

"You can even combine magic together with a friend's spells! It's really handy!" Tomo added.

"I see, that is most helpful! I have magic of Water, but it manifests as Mist! It was a blessing from the pendant of Lady Irma, but afterwards, she said that I was the last person it could grant such a power to as it had to little left to do much of anything," Lex explained.

"Mist, huh? That gives me some ideas!" Ty said with a sly grin. "You and I are gonna get along just fine!"

While Ty finished speaking, Tomo found a red long sword in the rubble of the statue monster they destroyed. "Hey Lex, this sword looks like it would be up your alley!" she said handing over the blade so effortlessly.

Lex took the sword and examined it, "This is a Blood Sword! It is crafted by Fiends and as you could assume, humans do not know how to craft them! Thank you, this shall prove useful!" he said gratefully.

The trio went back down the hallway until it descended, leading to anther door. Ty opened the door and it led into a caged room. Crono and his team were on the other side of this cage. It looked like this room was used to keep animals. The room was round and had a large altar in the center. Marle approached the cage, "Are you guys alright in there?" she asked.

"Yep, no problems here," Ty said with a smile.

"There was a kitchen near the ballroom, but it was bare, nothing but shadow monsters and more skeletons," Marle explained.

"What did you guys find?" Crono asked.

"Nothing much, just a bunch of knickknacks... This room was used to make sacrifices and such, so don't go killing any lambs or anything!" Tomo giggled. "You might summon and nasty ghost!"

Marle shrieked, "Eek! I don't want that!"

"We'll go on ahead. It doesn't appear that we'll see much of this room from our end!" Ty said as he and his party moved on, climbing a wooden stair case to an upper level.

Crono got back on track and decided to inspect the altar, "Hmm, the inscription is to illegible to read," he thought.

As he finished his thoughts, something caught his eye. A spirit appeared upon the altar. It was in the image of a Poyozo, which was a small bipedal lamb-like creature. "Eek, another ghost!" said a spooked Marle.

The spirit spoke, "If you place something upon this altar and burn it as an offering, you may be rewarded with something better in return..."

Crono gave it some thought and placed one of their random accessories on the altar, "Let me handle it Crono!" Lucca said as she used her magic to burn the item. As the flame consumed the item, the flames turned blue until it died down, revealing a Bloodstone Amulet. Lucca picked up the talisman and placed it around her neck. "Usually, I'm not really into girly things, but this is really pretty!"

After admiring her new little trinket, the party moved on ahead. Long twisting corridors awaited them along with small crypts to house the dead. They had definitely found themselves in a labyrinth.

Ty and his group fared just as well. On the upper level, the labyrinth was rigged with switch puzzles that opened certain doors and closed others, but being the explorers they were, they were determined to search every nook and cranny. After opening every pattern they could think of and gathering anything of value they moved forward. The exit led them to a very large room. They were on a long but narrow stone bridge that was carved from the natural cavern walls. It came to the center of the room and forked off to the left and to the right. Below them, the rest of the room resembled a throne room. It had a large ornate cobweb covered chair in front of a large square wooden table and many chairs on each side. At the furthest wall from them was a massive ornate door that overlooked a staircase. It was chained up with three magical locks with runes engraved on them.

Crono and his gang came through a parallel door at the bottom and gazed up at the door. "Wow, that's some door! I wonder if the whole thing is solid gold?" Lucca mused curiously.

"If it is, then the Fiendlord of the time would be the only one to order such a craft," Ty informed. "So whatever is behind that door, is either valuable or dangerous, maybe both."

A door to Crono's right caught his eye, but it was sealed with an iron portcullis, "Hey Ty, is there a switch up there?" Crono asked hopefully.

Ty looked to his right, then to his left, "No, the right side is barred up here too, but the left is open. We'll check it out! Be right back!"

"Don't go anywhere now!" Tomo added with a chuckle.

"We shall return shortly!" Lex added.

Ty and his gang entered the left room and it housed an occult styled library with two floors. Three large tables sat in the center of the room while the walls were lined with bookcases. The staircase, and by extension, second floor was in the shape of a 'U'. Featureless apparitions wandered the room performing the repetitive tasks they did in life still roamed about, but seemed harmless. The spirits muttered and mumbled as they moved slowly about. The party decided to lend them an ear one by one. They pieced together, "Water summons Wind, Wind makes Fire dance..."

Being familiar with this riddle, the party began looking for books that would cast out an element before them when opened. They took only a little while to find all the books, but managed to open them in the proper order. A bookcase opened, revealing a hidden passage on the first floor behind a table and the party entered cautiously. The hidden room was dungeon-like and riddled with bones. Blue flames manifested and engulfed the skeletons, "Uh-oh," Ty muttered before they were surrounded by six blood red skeletons.

"These one's are a little different aren't they?" Tomo noticed.

"Hey Lex, show us some of your magic! I want to see what you can do!" Ty said with a smirk.

Lex grinned, "Ah, then prepare to be amazed my friend!" he said as he began clasping his hands together. He then outstretched his arms after performing some hand signs, "Mist Beast!" he chanted as a cloud of freezing mist manifested from around his feet. It quickly took the shape of a bulky, over muscled and horned beast that charged into an entire row of the skeletons, destroying them.

"Wow, that was cool! Literally!" Tomo cheered.

"Neat! This guy can make monster clouds!" Ty admired.

"Ty, let's finish these last three off before they get too close!" Tomo said as the other three moved in.

"Ah, let's hit them with a Sandstorm!" Ty said as he began gathering his power.

They threw their hands up, "Sandstorm!" they both shouted as the three skeletons were turned to dust by means of their combined magic.

When the room cleared, a rumble could be heard as well as felt through the floor. "Sounds like we triggered something. Shall we go back and see?" Lex asked politely.

The trio returned to the room and found that the portcullis opened on Crono's level. "Thanks guys!" Crono said as he took the lead.

Crono's party had entered what seemed to be a small Apothecary. No chemicals were left behind, but many crude instruments were left lying around that struck fear into those who examined them. Strange spirits roamed the room and gave a bit of cryptic advice, "Fire dances in the darkest of Shadows, which are chased away by the Light..."

Crono and Marle thought hard about the vague information, but couldn't think of how it related to their situation. Lucca then, with inspiration, put the pieces together, "...It's an extension to the 'Water summons Wind, Wind makes Fire dance' riddle!" she deduced with her finger raised.

"Good thinking Lucca!" Crono praised.

"Yeah, but what do we apply it to? That first riddle was in old Zealian books. Did the Fiends adopt this when they escaped from Zeal?" Marle asked quizzically.

"Quite possibly, either way, I'm sure we need to start a fire first, so let's take a look around!" Crono said, arranging a plan.

The party looked around, but the only feasible place to start a fire, was in a stone fireplace that had a rusted cauldron still hanging in place. However, there was no wood or other materials to make a fire. The party continued to look into things further, hoping to find something that would burn. Marle walked along a wall and noticed a crack and indent. It crumbled when she touched it and it revealed a small metal lever. "Hey, I found something neat!" she said as she pulled it. Just then, small torches on the walls came to life. There were six in all, but two flickered, one was out and the other three were lit.

"What did you do Marle?" Lucca asked curiously.

"There was a hole in the wall with a switch inside!" Marle replied.

"Nice work sweetie, but what does this mean?" Crono asked as seemingly nothing came from lighting the automated lamps.

Lucca made an observation, "Hey, there are button's underneath each lamp. I wonder what happens when we press them."

"Let's find out," Crono replied.

Crono pressed the switch nearest to his position and the lamps changed up their positions. Two went out that were on, the one that was out came on, one stopped flickering and another began to flicker. "Huh, what the heck?" Marle said shaking her head in confusion.

"I got it!" Lucca said strongly. "Fire dances in the shadows, right? I bet we have to press these switches in a certain order to make all six lamps 'flicker' or 'dance'!"

"Well, let's try it and see!" said Crono enthusiastically.

Crono and his party tried all sorts of combinations to make all the lamps flicker. Eventually, they found the proper combination and all the lamps flickered, causing a rumble. The rumble was the portcullis upstairs. "Alright, we did it!" Marle cheered as she hopped up and down.

Before the party could leave to inform Ty's group, a calamity could be heard in the room above them. Familiar, yet comical screams were also vaguely heard as the sounds trailed above them. Eventually, another rumble could be heard and Ty's group came tumbling through a hidden passageway concealed behind a bookcase.

Crono, Marle and Lucca were wide-eyed in surprise as Ty fell flat on the floor with Tomo landing on him, followed by Lex. "GET OFF!" Ty mumbled underneath Tomo.

"What happened you guys?" Crono asked as he helped them up.

Lex came forward, embarrassed, "Please, allow me. The young lady here was growing impatient as we waited for a response from you. She tried breaking the portcullis with her weapon only for it to finally open. She got to excited and rushed in, prompting Ty to chase after her with a scolding. I followed in an attempt to quell things! As we got inside though, it was nothing but a bunch of jail cells. They all opened at once and a gauntlet of skeletons came pouring out like schools of fish!"

"Yeah, and we smashed our way through every single one!" Tomo said cheerfully.

Ty still seemed traumatized as he got to his feet, his head still spinning, "Waaay to many skeletons! Gotta dial back on the skeletons!" he muttered, dusting himself off.

"Well, I'm glad you're all fine," Crono said with relief. "Marle, would you mind patching everyone up before we head to the vault?"

"No problem!" Marle agreed as she used her magic to heal everyone who needed it.

As the party of six regrouped, they stood before the large door, now void of its locks and chains. Crono cautiously opened the door with a strong push. Inside was a rounded room. A moat of rushing water surrounded a platform that was overloaded with precious metals and stones alike. Everyone was in awe, "Jackpot!" said Ty with a wide grin.

Lex seemed to be the most joyful, "This, with all this gold, silver, bronze and precious stone alike, Lady Irma can fund the foundation of our new capital!"

"No kidding!" Tomo said with a starry eyed smile.

Just then, out of the hills of gold coin and ingot, Crono's gaze was drawn to a large stone chest that was chained and sealed. He approached cautiously as the others noticed the chest as well. "That's a suspicious looking chest...," Crono muttered. Tomo came close and smashed the locks and chains with her hammer and they fell to the floor with a heavy metal 'clunk'. She then pushed the large stone lid off. Inside, the Frozen Flame sat all by itself in it's dormant state. "Yep, just as I thought!" Crono said, grinding his teeth.

As Crono's words echoed off the walls of the vault the Frozen Flame seemed to respond to them as it levitated out of the chest and it's eyes emerged. "What manner of sorcery is this?" Lex said in astonishment.

The Flame began to glow with its sickly crimson light as none other than Dalton, spoke through it, "I see you...!" he said creepily, like a stalker would a hapless victim. "What era is this? Oh? I see you pests have made another meddlesome friend! Oh well, no matter! As I become closer with the Flame my power grows as well! I shall exterminate you pests right here, right now! And my favorite Fiend shall put an end to you! Go, Golem! Show them the power we have attained!" Dalton laughed maniacally.

The Frozen Flame emitted red particles of light that manifested into a large monster made of yellow clay that levitated off the ground. Its entire body was shaped like a clump of stalagmites and it had two bulky arms with three fingers on each hand. Its eyes burned with anger and its massive, big red lipped mouth was lined with razor sharp teeth. It roared loudly as it smashed the floor with its fists. The parties were shaken as they were sent to the creature's left and right sides respectively. They stood atop mounds of gold coins to get a good view.

"Damn you to hell Dalton! "Okay guys let's bust up this Golem and teach Dalton a lesson!" Crono said bravely as he held out his blade.

The Golem bellowed as it initiated an attack. It generated a volley of yellow magical spheres that pelted all who were present. Some more than others. Ty poisoned his weapons as Crono called out, "Hit it with Magic and it changes its attack patterns to match, let's keep it confused!" he informed as he threw a Lightning Bolt at the Golem.

The Golem took little damage as it warped the lightning around itself and changed its attack style to Light. It then discharged the electricity with a Scintillation spell, enveloping the entire party. Ty managed to pick himself up and use his cunning and wit to strike the monster and hopefully apply a dose of Crippling Poison and Deadly Poison respectfully. The poison took hold and the Golem slowed down, but was hindered little by the deadly toxin. "Whew, he's a healthy one!" Ty remarked.

The Golem changed its style back to a physical one and strengthened its attributes with an incantation. It followed this by summoning more energy spheres, only this time, the attack hit Ty alone, knocking him to the ground. He moaned as he struggled to get up.

Tomo reacted in frustration, "Hey, let's see you deal with a little Earth Magic!" she shouted as she cast her Earth Rumble spell. The Golem took Tomo's attribute and threw it back with an attack of its own. It teleported a very large boulder and it crashed into Tomo sending her into a pile of gold coins. She spit up blood as well as wiping it from her forehead.

The Golem was then hit with a exploding Fire Ball from Lucca, "Got ya! That was quite an opening you left for yourself!" she boasted. The Golem changed its attack style to Fire, but was quickly interrupted by a spell chanted by both Lex and Marle. Lex's Mist Beast spell was transformed into an ice sculpture as it barreled towards the Golem. "Ice Beast!" chanted Lex and Marle together.

The Ice Beast headed towards the Golem at full speed as the monster used a Fire Blast spell. Gold coins and other treasures went flying as the Golem was hit and the Ice Beast destroyed with the party taking a hit from the fire spell.

Most of Crono's party were in ruins. "Damn..., it's a lot stronger than I thought...," Crono thought as he gnashed his teeth.

The Golem changed its attribute to water and growled loudly. It cast forth a Water Wave and pummeled the party with high pressured water. Tomo rose, wounded as did Ty, "Do we do the thing?" Ty asked weakly.

She nodded weakly, "...Let's do it..."

They combined their magic spells, "Sandstorm 2!" they chanted, pushing their battered bodies to the limits. The Golem took the hit and seemed to take some heavy damage from it, but it was not enough. The Golem changed its style to Wind and retaliated with a Wind Storm. It was much stronger than Ty's version and the party hit the ground.

Ty was covered in treasures and blood as his vision was growing blurry. He lifted his weakened head to see Tomo, who was even worse off. She looked at Ty with blood running down her face and tears of frustration welling up in her eyes.

As they locked eyes, Ty could feel his heart beat strongly all of a sudden. In rage, he gripped the hilt of his weapon and rose to his feet. Crono and Lex slashed at the Golem with their swords and they were followed by an Antipode spell from Lucca and Marle. The Golem took a good hit, but it still wasn't enough as it changed it's element to Shadow from the weird mixture of magic. It cast multiple Dark Bombs, Crono was hit, followed by Lex, then Marle, then Lucca, then Tomo, whose scream of pain could be head by Ty, whose rage was building as he slowly approached the beast with a fierce wind in his eyes. Crono looked over at Ty, who could see a change happening in him, "Can it be?" Crono asked himself as he now had his eyes glued to Ty. He took a deep breath and called out to Ty, "DO IT, TY!"

As Ty got close, the Golem cast yet another Dark Bomb, this time on Ty. However, this time was different. Tomo, to weak to speak stretched her hand out to Ty in horror. A loud roar erupted from the Dark Bomb and it dispersed with a gust of wind and a bright silvery light. When it balanced out. Tomo was in awe at Ty's visage. His hair was colored like melted silver and his iris's colored gold. He was radiating a fiery silver aura and he didn't even seemed to mind the damage he withstood.

Crono cheered as everyone else joined in, "Alright! Take it down, 'King of Thieves'!"

*End of Chapter*


	18. Act 3 - Ch16-B: Rise of Guardia, Part 2

Chrono Corruption

Act 3: Origin of the Flame

Chapter 16-B: Rise of Guardia, Part 2

*Newly Formed Town of Truce*

The Town of Irma was now officially the Town of Truce. The people who loved the turn of events hailed Irma and made merry and partied with strong drinks and heavy foods. Those who hated it quickly departed to return to their homes. After the night gave way to day, the merrymakers gathered themselves up and headed for their homes as well. Irma called for Marle, "Where is my sister? I must speak with her," she said. Crono and his party were called to the Magistrate's Hut to meet Irma. "Ah, there you are. We must make haste to the Guardia Forest! I humbly ask you to join me sister! You, your husband and your servant," Irma bowed her head in respect.

"Absolutely! We would be honored!" Marle said with a royal tone.

Irma became happy, but then thought of something, "Ah, but even with you three and my chosen Hero, Lex, we still don't have enough able bodies to help. All my men are strewn throughout the lands. I would have to bring some back, but that would take days," Irma said stressed.

Crono rose his hand, "We have two more friends if that would be enough!"

Irma's attention was snared, "Truly? Would you be able to bring them here more promptly than I?" she asked with hope.

Tomo approached Crono, "Do we have time to bring Ty and Lucca here? The Hills of Denadoro are still kinda far."

Marle whispered, "Yeah, but the Hills are much closer then say, Medina or Porre!" she said.

"True, so let me go get them! It'll still take some time, but much less than what Irma has in mind!" Crono explained.

"Are you sure you'll be alright by yourself?" Marle asked worriedly.

"I'll be fine, just give me any new equipment for them and I'll be as swift as a hummingbird!" Crono said with a thumbs up gesture.

"Fine with me! I'll find something to snack on while your gone," Tomo said cheerfully.

The party brought their plan to Irma, who liked it much better than waiting for help from elsewhere. Crono sorted out all their new equipment sold off what they did not need and Crono left swiftly.

*The Prison of Time*

Ty emerged from one of the pillars of light followed by Lucca, "Heh, looks like that's as far as I can go right now...," Ty said panting.

"Not bad, if my calculations are correct, my Fire Blast spell will mix well with your Wind Storm spell!" Lucca stated.

Ty looked around and noticed one more pillar of light, it was a red one, "Hey, there's a strong one in that one! Want to do one more?" Ty asked with a grin.

Lucca sighed, "Your eager demeanor reminds me of Crono...," she giggled.

They approached the pillar and held hands with a slight blush on their faces. The pillar took them to a time that was discarded. The environment was strangely familiar, too familiar. "This can't be! I know this place!" Ty said pale as a ghost.

"You do? How is that possible?" Lucca asked dumbstruck.

They were aboard Toma's ship, the Radical Dreamer. They stood on deck looking over the El Nido Sea. It was frozen in time. Behind them, they could hear mechanical noises and they both slowly looked over their shoulders to find the ship docked next to Captain Viper's ship. Standing before them however, were the two puppets, Mustarl and Ralsh.

"I can't believe it! It's these two!" Ty said in awe.

"What?! Fully functional robots?! Where did these come from?!" Lucca said stunned.

"These are the robots that Captain Viper used to plunder our ship! This ship!" Ty said in anger.

"I remember you saying that when we first met!" Lucca followed.

Mustarl and Ralsh rushed to them as quickly as two mechanical puppets could. The green lanky one, Ralsh focused its attacks on Ty, while Mustarl focused on Lucca. Ty found it much easier now to dodge Ralsh's swings then when he first encountered it, but Lucca had some trouble. Ty struck back with his weapon, "Yikes, these suckers are still hard as a brick!" he said as his weapon did little damage.

Lucca's shots bounced off doing very little damage, "Sheesh! These were definitely built to last!"

"Built to last my foot! This time I have Magic!" Ty said as he summoned a Wind Spiral. He blasted Ralsh with the tornado, but something strange happened. Ralsh's green armored body gleamed as the Wind Spiral was seemingly negated.

Lucca's Fire ball exploded like a bomb and Mustarl took some significant damage, "My Magic's effective, so I've got your back!"

"I'm gonna try to hit the other one then!" Ty said as his muscles bulked as he placed himself in a more stable stance. His body glowed with a green aura as he built up his magic.

"You should let me deal out the Magic! You're significantly exhausted!" Lucca warned.

"Wind Storm!" Ty shouted as he summoned two large tornados that enveloped both robots. Ralsh negated the spell, but Mustarl was damaged. "Ha! I knew I would get somewhere!" he said exhausted. His muscles pulsated painfully from the overuse of magic.

Lucca gathered the magic for her stronger spell, "Fire Blast!" she chanted as a massive wave of heat raced across the atmosphere followed by numerous explosions of flame from the ground that enveloped the two puppets.

Ty grinned at Lucca, "Hey, you want to try mixing our best spells now?"

They conspired while the duos traded blows until Mustarl and Ralsh reveled a new trick. "Ga pi ga pi!" Ralsh whirred as a magical energy emitted from its entire body. Mustarl did the same and was now bathed in a yellow light. "They boosted their capabilities with false magic!" Lucca warned.

"There is such a thing?" Ty asked with confusion.

"Robots sort of mimic magic! I'll explain later!" Lucca said with urgency.

"Okay, it's a date!" Ty joked causing Lucca to blush.

The spells the two puppets cast on themselves increased their physical capabilities. Ralsh was now to fast to hit and Mustarl was to tough to hurt. The puppets quickly overwhelmed them both as they fought to stay conscious. They each looked at one another weakly. Ty spoke weakly, "Come on Lucca! Stay with me! We got that new trump card. If that doesn't work, then it's Aura Surge or we break!" he said strongly.

They got to their feet and Lucca glanced up at him with a blush, "Tch, I guess Marle was right, he's is quite a dish! I really admire his determination!" she thought with a smile. "Shall we use our trump card?"

"Sure you can handle it? Your looking a little red!" Ty chuckled.

She regained her composure, "Y-yes, I am quite focused!"

"We combine our new two spells! Wind Storm and Fire Blast! If that don't destroy them, well, it's up to fate after that!" Ty explained.

"You do realize that Fire Blast isn't 'new' to me, right? I just needed to get back in shape!" Lucca stated strongly.

The duo synced their magical powers and their bodies were pushed to the limits and beyond. As the puppets came within range, the two unleashed their spell, "Scarlet Winds 2!" they shouted in unison. Ty's two tornadoes sucked up the flames from Lucca's numerous explosions and bathed both robots in torch-like flames. After the spell dispersed and the black smoke lifted, Mustarl and Ralsh were just piles of melted metal. With that, the two were transported back to the Prison of Time's main room.

They collapsed, breathing heavily. "Wow, we beat them!" Ty said with a chuckle.

"Yes, well, it seems as though I have some things to look into when we get back!" Lucca stated.

"Well, let's go rest for now, I doubt there's anything more we can do at this point," Ty suggested.

Lucca agreed and they went back to the End of Time. Crono was there to greet them, "Hey you two, wow, you look like you've been training real hard! Did you two master the Aura Surge?" Crono asked excitedly.

"Nah, not yet, but we're probably getting close," Ty said with a little disappointment.

"Rest is a part of training too, so we should before we try going further," Lucca informed.

"That's okay, I'm sure whatever progress you made will still be useful!" Crono assured. "Also, you two need to come with me!"

"You totally thought our training was more important than what you came back here by yourself to tell us, didn't you?" Ty said with suspicion.

Crono scratched the back of his head with a mischievous grin, "Heh, it crossed my mind!" he said. Getting back to the task at hand, Crono brought the two up to date. They patched themselves up, armed themselves with new gear and away they went.

*Town of Truce*

After a few days passed, Crono had made great time getting back to the town. Ty and Lucca introduced themselves and everyone seemed to get along just fine. Irma stood before them, "Very good then, I am impressed that you have such a dependable husband! These two will make a great addition to our cause!" she said joyfully. "Now then, let us collect all our belongings and be on our way, yes?"

*Forest of Guardia, Base Camp*

After some time passed, the party journeyed into the depths of the Guardia Forest and up to the camp that was situated at the base of a large mesa. Set into the mesa was a massive door that was once covered with overgrowth, but it had been recently cleared by Irma's foot soldiers. On the large stone door, archaic motifs were carved into it. Everyone settled in for the stay. Ty, Tomo and Lucca began examining the door to find any clues on how to open it.

"Hmm, well these characters are definitely of Fiend origin," Ty reassured.

"Yes, but it seems to be a much older dialect I believe," Tomo added.

"How far back? Antiquity perhaps?" Lucca asked, adjusting her glasses.

"Oh definitely!" Ty confirmed. "Did you know that we have found evidence that the Fiends actually came out from a hole in the ground?"

"No I didn't know that. I thought the Enlightened Ones of the Kingdom of Zeal created them!" Lucca said using her knowledge of Zeal. "...But now that I think about it, Mamba Jamba was proof that they are much older than we thought."

"While we never found any sort of ruins or texts that say cities floated up in the skies, we did find ancient Fiendish writings that constantly talk about a fiery pit that they emerged from that dates all the way back to the Ice Age. However, it's met with speculation, because we could never find the site of the hole," Tomo explained further. "But as you said, since we encountered Mamba Jamba back in the Ice Age, that proves it for me!"

"...But knowing the Fiends, they probably sealed it up or something with magic of their own," Ty theorized.

"Then, could it possible that the Zealians studied them and tried to experiment on them?" Lucca shuddered.

"It's a distinct possibility. From what you told us about Zeal, it sounds like a place where people could reach into things they shouldn't be," Ty said sternly.

"You have no idea...," Lucca mumbled, recalling past events.

"Ah, I think I got it!" Tomo said with a jolt of joy. "It seems to be sealed with a mysterious energy! It has the same insignia as those little black chests we can't open. You know, the one's we dig up every now and again? The text on the door keeps mentioning a Dreamstone made artifact of some kind. I'll bet Irma got in here on the original time line with her pendant!"

"Oh, is that so? In that case, we have both Marle's and Irma's version at the same time!" Lucca laughed confidently.

"Hmm, it's also a ward. The inscriptions clearly want the 'idiots' who try to enter here to know they are indeed 'idiots' if they open it, due to the danger," Ty warned. "We should let the others know what we found. It isn't possible to get anymore information on this door due to wear and tear over the ages."

Tomo jumped up and trotted off in a hurry, "Hey Marle! We need your pendant!" she said enthusiastically.

And so, Crono, Marle, Lucca, Ty, Tomo and Lex all surrounded Irma as she and Marle approached the door with their pendants shimmering in the sun's rays that were coming from the treetops over head. Irma stated a prayer as she held her pendant high, "Oh please, Goddess of Fate! Hear my plea! Let this door be opened, so that we may claim what lies inside and with it, create a better world!" she prayed diligently.

"Me too!" Marle said childishly, unsure what to say.

The pendants began to glow red and the door did the same as a mysterious force had suddenly been lifted from it. The door lifted as the sound of stone grinding on stone could be heard. A nasty 'breath' of air emanated from the now open door. With that, Irma's pendant became dark and empty.

Crono approached the door, "Well, shall we? Daylight's burning!" he said enthusiastically, his hand on his sword.

With that, Irma wished them her best, "Blessings be upon all of you!" she said as all six adventurer's entered the structure.

After trekking through a long hallway, the party came to a foyer-like room that was decorated with a gothic style decor. The candles sprung to life with blue fire as a heavy spiritual presence came to life in the room. Tomo shivered, "This place gives me the creeps!"

"Yeah, it feels like I'm being watched from everywhere all at once," Ty claimed tensely.

Crono gazed up a flight of carved stairs and noticed two separate doorways they could take, "So it looks like we'll have to split up."

"Alright who wants left?" Marle asked.

"I'll take left...," Ty said.

"I shall go with Mister Drayguard," Lex added.

Lucca chimed in, "I'll go with Ty also," she said hurriedly.

"Okay then, that leaves us three!" Crono said looking at his wife.

"I wouldn't leave you anyway Crono sweetie!" Marle said drawing close.

"Okay, shall we?" Tomo said bringing them out of the moment.

The two teams went their separate ways, Crono's party to the right and Ty's party to the left. Crono and his party walked cautiously down the dark corridor. "This sure is a spooky place!" Tomo said with a shiver.

"Yeah, I got goose bumps all over!" Marle stated as she rubbed her arms as if she were cold.

"You know something? I think I know where we are," Crono said with a revelation. Marle and Tomo blinked and stared as they waited for the answer. "This place must be... the Guardia Catacombs in our time!"

"Sounds accurate," started Tomo. "After all, this mesa is where your castle is built in the very near future!"

As they came to this revelation, they came to an open room that was a crypt, "Uh, guys, I don't mean to spoil the revelation, but it looks like the Fiends may have practiced necromancy down here!" Marle said, pointing out all the skeletons strewn throughout the room. The skeletons began to rattle as they sprung to life armed with scythes and spears. Using Magic, Crono's team quickly dispatched the undead.

"Well, that wasn't so bad!" Crono said, sheathing his sword.

Crono's party found nothing of interest in the room so they moved forward. They walked through a large door way and found themselves in a castle ballroom. "Wow, the Fiends actually lived down here!" Marle said as she gazed at the masonry.

Just then, Ty's voice came from an upper level balcony, "Hey guys, find anything useful down there?" he asked.

"Nope, nothing of interest!" Marle stated. As she finished her last word, a flicker of light and a cold presence entered the room. Shadowy formless blobs with simplistic humanoid shapes manifested before them. They seemed to lock arms with one another and perform a slow dance, ignoring the two groups.

Tomo shivered, "Yikes! Ghosts!"

"They appear to be Fiend spirits...," Lex pointed out.

"...And some Humans are mixed in too...," Ty added with a shiver.

"I do not wish to know why both humans and Fiends shared this dark place...," Lex claimed with his face growing pale.

Crono began walking through the room and noticed one ghost that sat alone at the wall. He approached it and it manifested into a vampiric looking woman in a red dress. She seemed as though she had been crying so much her face was red. She began to speak, "...No one... wants to dance... with me...," her spirit sobbed.

"Awe...," replied Crono.

"That's so sad, being left out like that...," Marle said gloomily.

"You know, I heard that spirits linger because of regrets. Maybe if you dance with her it'll ease her spirit!" Tomo suggested.

"What?! No way, he's MY husband!" Marle whined.

Crono calmed her down, "It's only a dance sweety. Plus it's to ease someone else's suffering," Crono explained. "I'm gonna see if it works. If it doesn't you can scold me later," he added as he turned from his wife and approached the ghost, "Would you care to dance...?" he asked nervously.

The spirit still seemed saddened, but responded, "You are nice, but I would prefer a female actually..."

Crono face faulted into the floor as Tomo slapped Marle on the back, "Your more girly than me, she'll like you better!"

"What, you mean me?" Marle exclaimed fearfully. "Oh well, this is better than seeing Crono with someone else I suppose," she said as she approached. "W-would you like to dance...?" she asked, fearful at the thought of dancing with a ghost.

The ghost lightened up with a shining expression, "Really? You mean it?"

"...S-sure...," Marle said with a fake smile. The ghost stood up and was at eye level with her and the spirit grabbed her hand and pulled her out into the middle of the ballroom. Marle blushed with embarrassment as the ghoul starred at he seductively and danced wonderfully. A strange slow melody emanated throughout the room. This went on for a few minutes as Marle danced with her. Finally, the song came to an end as the other spirits left one by one and the woman's spirit also left with a satisfied look on her face. Marle was left with a Blood Dress in her arms.

Ty's cheering could be heard from the balcony, "Way to go Princess! Shake it!" he continued to chuckle, amused by the turn of events.

"Wow, you danced so well she gave you her clothes," Tomo said flatly.

"Just be thankful Lady Marle, that your dancing was enough for her!" Lex added, also chuckling.

A couple of arrows flew their way, "Don't you guys have something better to do?" Marle growled comically.

"That reminds me! There are lots of rooms up here! Probably like hotel rooms or something! Let's go check'em out guys!" Ty said as his party left with him.

Marle moaned, "That was so embarrassing!"

Ty and his party found themselves in a long hallway with many rooms just as Ty had said. Ty hummed as he approached the closest door, "Might as well start somewhere! Maybe we'll find some loot!" he said as he flung open the creaky wooden door. A couple of ghosts were inside on the dusty old bed. A vampiress in a dominatrix outfit was whipping a human male spirit as he moaned pleasurably. The vampiress's spirit turned to the pale adventurer and beckoned him with a finger. Ty quickly closed the door with a fearful look on his face, "NOPE!" he said strongly. "Let's try some other room shall we?"

"What? Was it another ghost?" Lucca asked with concern.

"Let's just go. I don't want to think about it," he replied.

"I agree, the dead linger here, so the longer we stay the more chance we have of getting a curse," Lex warned.

And with that, the trio checked all other rooms down the long hallway. They busted up animated skeletons and other undead and looted the rooms for goods. Eventually, they came to a small circular room at the end of the hallway that held a large statue of a woman. The statue came to life and Ty and Lucca decimated it with magic. Lex was surprised, "You two can perform Magic?!"

"Yeah, so can Crono and the girls...," Ty started.

Lucca informed Lex on all he needed to know about their magical talents, bringing him up to speed. "Mixing your magic with another person's magic or skills yields far greater results!" she finished.

"I see, that is most helpful! I have magic of Water, but it manifests as Mist! It was a blessing from the pendant of Lady Irma, but afterwards, she said that I was the last person it could grant such a power to as it had to little left to do much of anything," Lex explained.

"Mist, huh? That gives me some ideas!" Ty said with a sly grin. "You and I are gonna get along just fine!"

While Ty finished speaking, Lucca found a red long sword in the rubble of the statue monster they destroyed. "Hey Lex, this sword looks like one you would use!" she said pointing it out.

Lex took the sword and examined it, "This is a Blood Sword! It is crafted by Fiends and as you could assume, humans do not know how to craft them! Thank you, this shall prove useful!" he said gratefully.

The trio went back down the hallway until it descended, leading to anther door. Ty opened the door and it led into a caged room. Crono and his team were on the other side of this cage. It looked like this room was used to keep animals. The room was round and had a large altar in the center. Marle approached the cage, "Are you guys alright in there?" she asked.

"Yep, no problems here," Ty said with a smile.

"There was a kitchen near the ballroom, but it was bare, nothing but shadow monsters and more skeletons," Marle explained.

"What did you guys find?" Crono asked.

"Not much, just a few odds and ends, but nothing of any great value," Lucca said adjusting her glasses.

"We'll go on ahead. It doesn't appear that we'll see much of this room from our end!" Ty said as he and his party moved on, climbing a wooden stair case to an upper level.

Crono got back on track and decided to inspect the altar, "Hmm, the inscription is to illegible to read," he thought.

As he finished his thoughts, something caught his eye. A spirit appeared upon the altar. It was in the image of a Poyozo, which was a small bipedal lamb-like creature. "Eek, another ghost!" said a spooked Marle.

The spirit spoke, "If you place something upon this altar and burn it as an offering, you may be rewarded with something better in return..."

Crono turned to the others, "No one has fire other than Lucca. Whatever, it's not important. Let's keep going."

With that, the party moved on ahead. Long twisting corridors awaited them along with small crypts to house the dead. They had definitely found themselves in a labyrinth.

Ty and his group fared just as well. On the upper level, the labyrinth was rigged with switch puzzles that opened certain doors and closed others, but being the explorer he was, he was determined to search every nook and cranny. After opening every pattern they could think of and gathering anything of value they moved forward. The exit led them to a very large room. They were on a long but narrow stone bridge that was carved from the natural cavern walls. It came to the center of the room and forked off to the left and to the right. Below them, the rest of the room resembled a throne room. It had a large ornate cobweb covered chair in front of a large square wooden table and many chairs on each side. At the furthest wall from them was a massive ornate door that overlooked a staircase. It was chained up with three magical locks with runes engraved on them.

Crono and his gang came through a parallel door at the bottom and gazed up at the door. "Wow, that's a really big door! This must be the vault!" Tomo said happily.

"If it is, then the Fiendlord of the time would be the only one to handle their treasury," Ty informed. "So whatever is behind that door, is either valuable or dangerous, maybe both."

A door to Crono's right caught his eye, but it was sealed with an iron portcullis, "Hey Ty, is there a switch up there?" Crono asked hopefully.

Ty looked to his right, then to his left, "No, the right side is barred up here too, but the left is open. We'll check it out! Be right back!"

"We shall return shortly!" Lex added.

Ty and his gang entered the left room and it housed an occult styled library with two floors. Three large tables sat in the center of the room while the walls were lined with bookcases. The staircase, and by extension, second floor was in the shape of a 'U'. Featureless apparitions wandered the room performing the repetitive tasks they did in life still roamed about, but seemed harmless. The spirits muttered and mumbled as they moved slowly about. The party decided to lend them an ear one by one. They pieced together, "Water summons Wind, Wind makes Fire dance..."

Being familiar with this riddle, the party began looking for books that would cast out an element before them when opened. They took only a little while to find all the books, but managed to open them in the proper order. A bookcase opened, revealing a hidden passage on the first floor behind a table and the party entered cautiously. The hidden room was dungeon-like and riddled with bones. Blue flames manifested and engulfed the skeletons, "Uh-oh," Ty muttered before they were surrounded by six blood red skeletons.

"These are different versions!" Lucca said raising her weapon.

"Hey Lex, show us some of your magic! I want to see what you can do!" Ty said with a smirk.

Lex grinned, "Ah, then prepare to be amazed my friend!" he said as he began clasping his hands together. He then outstretched his arms after performing some hand signs, "Mist Beast!" he chanted as a cloud of freezing mist manifested from around his feet. It quickly took the shape of a bulky, over muscled and horned beast that charged into an entire row of the skeletons, destroying them.

"Impressive!" Lucca said.

"Neat! This guy can make monster clouds!" Ty admired.

"These ones are drawing closer!" Lucca pointed out.

"Ah, let's hit them with Scarlet Winds!" Ty said as he began gathering his power.

They threw their hands up, "Scarlet Winds!" they both shouted as the three skeletons were turned to dust by means of their combined magic.

When the room cleared, a rumble could be heard as well as felt through the floor. "Sounds like we triggered something. Shall we go back and see?" Lex asked politely.

The trio returned to the room and found that the portcullis opened on Crono's level. "Thanks guys!" Crono said as he took the lead.

Crono's party had entered what seemed to be a small Apothecary. No chemicals were left behind, but many crude instruments were left lying around that struck fear into those who examined them. Strange spirits roamed the room and gave a bit of cryptic advice, "Fire dances in the darkest of Shadows, which are chased away by the Light..."

Crono and Marle thought hard about the vague information, but couldn't think of how it related to their situation. Tomo then, with inspiration, put the pieces together, "...It's an addition to the 'Water summons Wind, Wind makes Fire dance' riddle!" she deduced.

"Good thinking Tomo!" Crono praised.

"Yeah, but what do we apply it to? That first riddle was in old Zealian books. Did the Fiends adopt this when they escaped from Zeal?" Marle asked quizzically.

"Quite possibly, either way, I'm sure we need to start a fire first, so let's take a look around!" Crono said, arranging a plan.

The party looked around, but the only feasible place to start a fire, was in a stone fireplace that had a rusted cauldron still hanging in place. However, there was no wood or other materials to make a fire. The party continued to look into things further, hoping to find something that would burn. Marle walked along a wall and noticed a crack and indent. It crumbled when she touched it and it revealed a small metal lever. "Hey, I found something neat!" she said as she pulled it. Just then, small torches on the walls came to life. There were six in all, but two flickered, one was out and the other three were lit.

"What just happened?" Tomo asked curiously.

"There was a hole in the wall with a switch inside!" Marle replied.

"Nice work sweetie, but what does this mean?" Crono asked as seemingly nothing came from lighting the automated lamps.

Tomo looked around, "Hey, there are button's underneath each lamp. I wonder what happens when we press them."

"Let's find out," Crono replied.

Crono pressed the switch nearest to his position and the lamps changed up their positions. Two went out that were on, the one that was out came on, one stopped flickering and another began to flicker. "Huh, what the heck?" Marle said shaking her head in confusion.

"I got it!" Tomo said strongly. "Fire dances in the shadows, right? I bet we have to press these switches in a certain order to make all six lamps 'flicker' or 'dance'!"

"Well, let's try it and see!" said Crono enthusiastically.

Crono and his party tried all sorts of combinations to make all the lamps flicker. Eventually, they found the proper combination and all the lamps flickered, causing a rumble. The rumble was the portcullis upstairs. "Alright, we did it!" Marle cheered as she hopped up and down.

Before the party could leave to inform Ty's group, a calamity could be heard in the room above them. Familiar, yet comical screams were also vaguely heard as the sounds trailed above them. Eventually, another rumble could be heard and Ty's group came tumbling through a hidden passageway concealed behind a bookcase.

Crono, Marle and Tomo were wide-eyed in surprise as Ty fell flat on the floor with Lucca landing on him, followed by Lex. "GET OFF!" Ty mumbled underneath Lucca.

"What happened you guys?" Crono asked as he helped them up.

Lex came forward, embarrassed, "Please, allow me. Ty got impatient and attempted to pick the lock himself, but it opened. As we got inside though, it was nothing but a bunch of jail cells. They all opened at once and a gauntlet of skeletons came pouring out like schools of fish!"

"We had to make our way through every last one of those damn things!" Lucca said flustered.

Ty still seemed traumatized as he got to his feet, his head still spinning, "Waaay to many skeletons! Gotta dial back on the skeletons!" he muttered, dusting himself off.

"Well, I'm glad you're all fine," Crono said with relief. "Marle, would you mind patching everyone up before we head to the vault?"

"No problem!" Marle agreed as she used her magic to heal everyone who needed it.

As the party of six regrouped, they stood before the large door, now void of its locks and chains. Crono cautiously opened the door with a strong push. Inside was a rounded room. A moat of rushing water surrounded a platform that was overloaded with precious metals and stones alike. Everyone was in awe, "Jackpot!" said Ty with a wide grin.

Lex seemed to be the most joyful, "This, with all this gold, silver, bronze and precious stone alike, Lady Irma can fund the foundation of our new capital!"

"No kidding!" Tomo said with a starry eyed smile.

Just then, out of the hills of gold coin and ingot, Crono's gaze was drawn to a large stone chest that was chained and sealed. He approached cautiously as the others noticed the chest as well. "That's a suspicious looking chest...," Crono muttered. Tomo came close and smashed the locks and chains with her hammer and they fell to the floor with a heavy metal 'clunk'. She then pushed the large stone lid off. Inside, the Frozen Flame sat all by itself in it's dormant state. "Yep, just as I thought!" Crono said, grinding his teeth.

As Crono's words echoed off the walls of the vault the Frozen Flame seemed to respond to them as it levitated out of the chest and it's eyes emerged. "What manner of sorcery is this?" Lex said in astonishment.

The Flame began to glow with its sickly crimson light as none other than Dalton, spoke through it, "I see you...!" he said creepily, like a stalker would a hapless victim. "What era is this? Oh? I see you pests have made another meddlesome friend! Oh well, no matter! As I become closer with the Flame my power grows as well! I shall exterminate you pests right here, right now! And my favorite Fiend shall put an end to you! Go, Golem! Show them the power we have attained!" Dalton laughed maniacally.

The Frozen Flame emitted red particles of light that manifested into a large monster made of yellow clay that levitated off the ground. Its entire body was shaped like a clump of stalagmites and it had two bulky arms with three fingers on each hand. Its eyes burned with anger and its massive, big red lipped mouth was lined with razor sharp teeth. It roared loudly as it smashed the floor with its fists. The parties were shaken as they were sent to the creature's left and right sides respectively. They stood atop mounds of gold coins to get a good view.

"Damn you to hell Dalton! "Okay guys let's bust up this Golem and teach Dalton a lesson!" Crono said bravely as he held out his blade.

The Golem bellowed as it initiated an attack. It generated a volley of yellow magical spheres that pelted all who were present. Some more than others. Ty poisoned his weapons as Crono called out, "Hit it with Magic and it changes its attack patterns to match, let's keep it confused!" he informed as he threw a Lightning Bolt at the Golem.

The Golem took little damage as it warped the lightning around itself and changed its attack style to Light. It then discharged the electricity, enveloping the entire party. Ty managed to pick himself up and use his cunning and wit to strike the monster and hopefully apply a dose of Crippling Poison and Deadly Poison respectfully. The poison took hold and the Golem slowed down, but was hindered little by the deadly toxin. "Whew, he's a healthy one!" Ty remarked.

The Golem changed its style back to a physical one and strengthened its attributes with an incantation. It followed this by summoning more energy spheres, only this time, the attack hit Ty alone, knocking him to the ground. He moaned as he struggled to get up.

Lucca reacted in frustration, "Over here you pile of clay!" she took out two large handguns and blasted at it with her Trigger Happy skill. The Golem took Lucca's attack and threw it back with an attack of its own. It spit up a large Iron Orb and it crashed into Tomo sending her into a pile of gold coins. She spit up blood as well as wiping it from her forehead while searching for her glasses.

The Golem was then hit with Tomo's Earth Rumble spell. "You left yourself wide open!" she boasted. The Golem changed its attack style to Earth, but was quickly interrupted by spell chanted by both Lex and Marle. Lex's Mist Beast spell was transformed into an ice sculpture as it barreled towards the Golem. "Ice Beast!" chanted Lex and Marle together.

The Ice Beast headed towards the Golem at full speed as the monster used an Earth Quake spell. Gold coins and other treasures went flying as the Golem was hit and the Ice Beast destroyed with the party taking a hit from the earth spell.

Most of Crono's party were in ruins. "Damn..., it's a lot stronger than I thought...," Crono thought as he gnashed his teeth.

The Golem changed its attribute to water and growled loudly. It cast forth a Water Wave and pummeled the party with high pressured water. Lucca rose, wounded as did Ty, "Do we do use the trump card?" Ty asked weakly.

She nodded weakly, "...Yeah..."

They combined their magic spells, "Scarlet Winds 2!" they chanted, pushing their battered bodies to the limits. The Golem took the hit and seemed to take some heavy damage from it, but it was not enough. The Golem changed its style to Wind and retaliated with a Wind Storm. It was much stronger than Ty's version and the party hit the ground.

Ty was covered in treasures and blood as his vision was growing blurry. He lifted his weakened head to see Lucca in worse condition. She looked at Ty with blood running down her face as she fumbled to put her glasses back on.

As they locked eyes, Ty could feel his heart beat strongly all of a sudden. In rage, he gripped the hilt of his weapon and rose to his feet. Crono and Lex slashed at the Golem with their swords and they were followed by a Tundra Rumble spell from Marle and Tomo. The Golem took a good hit, but it still wasn't enough as it changed it's element to Shadow from the weird mixture of magic. It cast multiple Dark Bombs, Crono was hit, followed by Lex, then Marle, then Tomo, then Lucca, whose scream of pain could be head by Ty, whose rage was building as he slowly approached the beast with a fierce wind in his eyes. Crono looked over at Ty, who could see a change happening in him, "Can it be?" Crono asked himself as he now had his eyes glued to Ty. He took a deep breath and called out to Ty, "DO IT, TY!"

As Ty got close, the Golem cast yet another Dark Bomb, this time on Ty. However, this time was different. Lucca, to weak to speak watched Ty in horror. A loud roar erupted from the Dark Bomb and it dispersed with a gust of wind and a bright silvery light. When it balanced out. Lucca was in awe at Ty's visage. His hair was colored like melted silver and his iris's colored gold. He was radiating a fiery silver aura and he didn't even seemed to mind the damage he withstood.

Crono cheered as everyone else joined in, "Alright! Take it down, 'King of Thieves'!"

*End of Chapter*


	19. Act 3 - Ch17: Separation

Chrono Corruption

Act 3: Origin of the Flame

Chapter 17: Separation

Crono cheered as everyone else joined in, "Alright! Take it down, 'King of Thieves'!"

Ty gave the Golem a piercing glare as it cast forth another Dark Bomb, however, it did not connect as Ty gracefully moved out of the way. He quickly reached into his tool kit and brought out the many throwing knives he had stored up. "I'm a bit of a 'Knife Fanatic'! Wanna see my collection?" he said with an eerie calm. He threw the knives into the air and knives of all shapes and sizes flew into the air like fireworks. With blinding superhuman agility and wind magic, Ty gathered the knives in between every finger and threw volley after volley of them into the Golem until none were left floating. The Golem was left reeling as it resembled a pin cushion. Ty grinned as everyone was left in astonishment, "Since I'm a 'Collector' of sorts, I'm gonna need those knives back! Every... last... one...!"

The Golem tried desperately to counter Ty's movements, but he was much to agile. Hitting him was like swatting a very intelligent fly. He was able to use the air to throw himself to dodge attacks in midair. With every movement, Ty reclaimed every knife with a brutal twist and turn as he tore them from the Golem's body until none remained. He then turned his back to the monster as he neatly placed his last knife away in storage. His Aura Surge now fading, he looked at Tomo, "Care to finish it? I would hate for it to go to waste after I cut it up for ya," he laughed under his breath.

Tomo came to her senses and glared at the oozing monster. Like many before them, Tomo transformed the Golem into a plump jelly filled pastry and finished it quickly. She glowed as the monster's magic fueled her body, "Iron Orb, huh? This should prove useful!" she said getting some of her strength back.

The Frozen Flame echoed with Dalton's rage. He roared loudly, "YOU MISERABLE THIEF! Why was such a power granted to YOU of all people?!"

Crono taunted Dalton more, "Heh, why don't you ask the Flame that?"

Dalton's rage finally peaked as it overflowed from the Flame itself, "That does it! You puny ants are beneath me! I AM A GOD! And as a God, I do away with all blasphemers! I'm going to throw each and every one of you miserable rodents so far into the Darkness Beyond Time, you'll wander there FOREVER!"

Lex intervened as he approached the Frozen Flame with his weapon outstretched. "Not to worry! I shall slice this demonic artifact in half!" he said bravely.

"No Lex! Don't!" Marle pleaded.

It was to late, Lex had taken a swing at the Flame and it's power repelled him and surged through his body, leaving his blood veins glowing through his skin. He tried to stand, but was horrified at what was happening to his body. "W-what is this?! What has happened to me?!" he shouted as he took a misstep backwards and fell into the watery moat at the edge of the room.

Before anyone could help him however, Dalton had opened up pitch black Gates at everyone's feet who were still present. Dalton's voice echoed once more, "Goodbye forever rodents! May you rot in the cracks between eras like compost in a forest, like corpses in shallow graves! Now, it is time for me to take my rightful place at the top of ths planet's food chain! I will remake the very fabric of history and I shall be King for all TIME! Bow before me, for I am crowned anew! I am, Neo Emperor Dalton!" he finished with maniacal laughter.

Crono called out, "Damn you, Dalton! I swear I'll destroy you for this!" he said as the Gate swallowed him up.

"Sweetie! NOOO!" screamed Marle as she too vanished into her own Gate.

"What a rotten development this turned into!" Lucca said gnashing her teeth as her own Gate consumed her.

"Ty help me! I don't want to go!" Tomo screamed as she vanished.

Ty turned to the Flame, "You know something? All my life I've searched for the Frozen Flame. Now? I can't wait to destroy it!" Ty said angrily as he vanished without a trace.

*Darkness Beyond Time*

Crono opened his eyes and he found himself in a strange place. Dark grey clouds lined the area above him and beneath. In between, an endless horizon of darkness could be seen. Thunder and lighting could be heard randomly and the strange atmosphere was somewhat reminiscent of the End of Time. He found himself stranded on a large rock that was suspended in the void. "Where is this? Is this the place Ty and Tomo told us about from before?" he thought. "My body sure hurts," he continued as he moaned while he sat up.

He took in his surroundings, "...The crushing loneliness is the worst feeling about this place... Now I know where Marle went when she vanished back in the Middle Ages. Marle... I am so sorry. This is not how things were supposed to go...," he lamented as tears ran down his cheeks. "But I can't give up! There must be a way! Do you hear me Dalton?! I WILL find you! I WILL kill you!" he shouted strongly as he unsheathed his blade and took a stand. He then leaped off the rock and into the nothingness and as he did so, a strange platform appeared from thin air. He landed on it and smiled. Anomalous 2-D creatures emerged to attack him, but he cut them down mercilessly and leaped again landing on another platform.

This platform began to float and move on its own. More creatures appeared and Crono quickly disposed of them. As he did so, a new platform appeared as the one he was on began to vanish again. He jumped to it and he repeated this several more times until he came to a strange towering structure. This structure had a massive mural-like monster standing before him. Fueled with determination, Crono cut it down and a large Gate appeared. "YES! I don't care where or when this Gate goes! Anywhere but here is better!" he said as he stored the crystal away and hopped on through.

*?*

Crono left the Gate and found himself in a strange, yet familiar place. "No..., this can't be! I'm where Lucca showed off her Telepod! I'm at Leene Square, but, it's in ruins...," he said falling to his knees. "Damn it..., what did Dalton do?" he said regaining his composure.

He rushed to the center of the square, where people huddled together, dressed in rags and suffering from starvation and sickness. At the center of the Square, people bowed and worshiped a golden statue of an angelic looking Dalton, much like how Magus once had the Fiends worship him. "Jeez, even the Fiends didn't make a statue made from gold," Crono said under his breath.

The people cried out in pain and suffering as they prayed, "Oh Lord Dalton! Why do you make us suffer so?! How long will you be angry with us? Our Kingdom is in ruins and it was given over to the amphibians once more! They play all day and taunt us without end because we are their slaves! When, oh, when, Lord Dalton will you forgive us?!"

Crono cast his gaze to the ground, his fist shaking in anger, "I can't let you... get away... with THIS!" he said angrily as he clenched his teeth.

Crono's attention was then grabbed suddenly by the yell of an approaching Porrean Soldier, definitely like one that overthrew Guardia before they left. "Hey you, what do you think you're doing? You're not supposed to carry a weapon if you're not one of us!" he said getting out his matchlock rifle.

Before the soldier could aim it however, Crono had sliced the rifle in two and the shock cast the man to the ground. He took his left hand and formed a Lightning Bolt. "Know this, my fellow Guardians! Dalton is no King! He is a madman that is out of control and needs to be stopped! I am Crono Guardia! I am King of this once proud nation and I will see to it's restoration!" he said proudly as he destroyed the statue with his magic.

The people rose up with a new sense of hope in their eyes when the idol was destroyed. However, this alerted more Porrean Soldiers as well as Frog Warriors who kept close eye on the people. However, they were afraid because of Crono's magic. Nevertheless, they attempted to surround him. Angered, Crono channeled more lightning. "Scintillation!" Crono chanted as he threw his arms into the air. A spark of light rose from his chest and it emitted lightning bolts in a directions, striking every soldier.

Unfortunately, every one that was struck down, was replaced with two more. Before he could get surrounded again, he decided to run off and they gave chase. Crono hopped and jumped his way through the ruins of Leene Square taking down anyone who got in his way until he finally made it to the entrance. A strange robust man in a hood and dark robes called out to him. "Over here young man!" said the man with a familiar voice.

"Melchior?!" Crono realized as he rushed over to him.

"Yes, come with me, hurry, we have to get you out of this country!" Melchior said as he cast a magical spell that was a blast of bright light. Melchior's spell blinded all who witnessed it and both he and Crono were nowhere to be seen.

*?*

As Crono opened his own eyes, he was at the front door in front of Melchior's Hut. He was swiftly invited in, "Let's go my boy, I'll let you in on a few things."

Crono entered the house and Melchior provided shelter for him. He patched Crono up with his own magic and Crono calmed down. Crono began, "What's happened since I've been gone...?" he asked dumbfounded.

"A lot... Dalton changed history," Melchior stated flatly.

"What did he change? I mean, other than making everyone believe he's a God?" Crono asked.

"Hard to say really," Melchior began. Crono raised his brow as Melchior continued, "Dalton interfered mostly with Porre while in this time as you already know. I don't know why Guardia is overrun by humanoid frogs though. Apparently, something happened in the Middle Ages, and the Guardians fought long and hard to regain the kingdom from them, and eventually Guardia was able to rebuild. Then, as I brushed up on history, things returned mostly to normal, with you going through time the first time, me appearing in this era and then Porre shows up and ruined your wedding and taking the Kingdom in the name of Neo Emperor Dalton. He elevated the frog beings from before and they returned, but I'm not sure how. It doesn't seem like he used time travel to bring them back about though, so it must be through other means."

"What did you do Glenn?" Crono said under his breath.

"That's not all though...," Melchior said sadly. Crono turned his attention back to Melchior as he spoke, "I wouldn't leave Regiorra Village right away though. It seems that Medina has been suffering from a 'Plague of Undeath' since the Middle Ages. And Chorus, has dedicated everything they have to Porre and by extension, Dalton..., out of fear," he sighed heavily.

Crono slammed his hands on the table, "What am I supposed to do about this though? I can't just go rushing through Porre, sword drawn! That place is probably a military fortress by now! I can't return to Guardia, or use Epoch since we smashed against Lavos!"

"Yes, it is well taken care of..., but not by Dalton, at least in his present state anyway," Melchior said.

"What do you mean?" Crono asked curiously.

"Well, it's currently ruled by your dad, Caelus," Melchior stated with melancholy.

Crono sunk, "Dad, why would you fall for such tricks...," he said sadly.

"Dalton changed his role for a third time after grasping the Frozen Flame's power. Sometime in history he created a powerful nation in the middle of the El Nido ocean and became it's 'God'. There he ruled for awhile until he chose to bring it to ruins for some reason or another. When Porre and Guardia discovered this place, Dalton presented himself again and well, you know," Melchior stated.

"So then, Dalton effortlessly wove himself throughout history as a God because he's basically ageless with the Frozen Flame? There must be something I can do!" Crono said in distress.

"We'll figure something out in the morning. Keep in mind, you've been gone for almost three months now. Oh, how the world can go to hell in such a short time!" Melchior lamented.

"Wow, three months? Alright, I guess I got no choice. I'll rest up for the time being, but then I have to find my wife and friends at the very least...," Crono said with determination.

*Morning*

Crono woke early and got himself cleaned and dressed. He ate the food Melchior had prepared for him despite not being hungry. He stood in the Village of Regiorra as the sun rose over Medina. Melchior joined him outside, "You know, even though the world is in distress, the sun still rises so beautifully. I've never dismissed its beauty even back in Zeal. Some things just don't change, do they?"

"Like hope?" Crono added.

"Yes, like hope...," Melchior confirmed. "I stayed around Guardia since you left. I was in hiding as I awaited your return, because I knew you would."

"So where do I go from here? Medina? There's a Gate there, but it will just take me to the Future. Dalton is surely more powerful there. I wonder if Gaspar can help out."

"That isn't a bad idea, but you'll need to set foot into Medina, The City of the Dead," Melchior warned.

"That sounds bad, but it's either that, or face Dalton and my dad and I'm not ready for that yet," Crono said flatly.

"That's why I'm going with you," Melchior said strongly.

"What? Really?" Crono asked in surprise.

"I need to leave here, if Dalton should find me, he'll undoubtedly destroy me," Melchior started. "I know my way around a sword, but I'm a Blacksmith at heart, not a warrior. So don't expected much from an elder like me. My Fire magic should provide more use than a sword though, so that's an option."

"Alright then, if you insist!" Crono said with his mood lifting.

"Let's just finish packing and be on our way, shall we?" Melchior asked cheerfully. And so, Melchior packed all his notable belongings and away they went.

*Medina, City of the Dead*

An unnatural darkness hung over Medina. It was a city of gothic decor that was stained by death and decay. Fungal growths plagued the lands and fog filled its atmosphere. "This is beyond spooky," Crono said shaking.

"I know, and even I don't know what happened here," replied Melchior. "It would be best if we stayed as silent as possible, just in case. No need to fight unnecessarily. We don't know the extent of the damage that this place suffered from in the past. So, you said there was a Gate here? Where is that exactly?"

"Not to far, in fact, it should be in a cabinet in that house over there," Crono pointed out.

"Good, at least we don't have to go any further than this," replied Melchior. "I would hate for that Gate to be any further north!"

Crono and Melchior inched their way quietly to the house where the Gate should be and things seemed to stay nice and quiet. He approached the house and quietly opened the door. The house was vacant and was covered in cobwebs and dust. Crono tip toed to the cabinet and grabbed hold of the handle and opened it. To his horror though, the Gate was sealed by a containment spell not unlike what Schala had once done. Crono's heart sunk, "What should I do now?"

Before Melchior could find anything to say, a strange voice came from the front door. "How about coming with me?" said the shadowy figure.

Crono and Melchior turned to see the strange figure. He was a young man with brown hair in a buzz cut like a military style, but his widow's peak came with a minor cowlick. He had purple irises and a thin build. He wore a uniform that was not recognizable from any known time period that Crono knew, but it seemed futuristic in design and it's color scheme was that of common camouflage. His strangest trait however, was the blue cybernetic left arm.

"Who are you? Are you with Dalton?" Crono said raising his blade defensively.

"No, I am called Garet. I am an Android sent from Chronopolis to acquire Chrono Guardia from this era. A machine name 'Prometheus' has sent me by means of a machine called, the 'Neo Epoch'. It was designed by Belthasar," he informed in a strong monotone.

"Wait, Prometheus?" Crono rushed up to the man with a cheer, "You mean Robo sent you?!"

"Belthasar? He's in the Future as well? How did you find us?" Melchior asked curiously.

"It is complex, but we knew you would be at the site of Gates, so that narrowed FATE's search considerably," Garet informed. "Come, Chronopolis is the only safe place from Neo Emperor Dalton's gaze."

"I'm onboard!" Crono said cheerfully.

"...It will be good to see Belthasar again...," Melchior said with levity.

They left the house and their mood was quickly quashed by the surrounding undead Fiends that managed to locate them. "Warning, there may be trouble on the way to the Neo Epoch...," Garet said flatly.

Crono raised his sword, "I'm not letting a zombie hoard stop me now! We have lots to do and even less time to do it in!"

As Crono finished his sentence, a zombified Gargoyle growled and leaped toward Crono, who shot it down with a Lightning Bolt. This prompted the hoard to move in. Crono cut them down one by one and Melchior was more comfortable wit his own burning spells. Many of Garet's weapons were also fire based and he used his arm as his main weapon. The wave died down and all went quiet for a moment. "We must keep them occupied while I activate the Neo Epoch. Once it is activated , I can summon it here remotely and we can escape," Garet explained.

"Alright, let's keep them off us!" Crono said strongly.

The zombies came pouring from the old alleyways of Medina and came right for them. Melchior bathed the field in a Fire Blast spell, while Crono used Scintillation and Garet used a Thermodynamic Ray, a Ballistic Salvo and a Machine Gun to mow down the undead. The second wave was defeated and all went quiet again. Garet came with an update, "Neo Epoch is online and is headed here now, standby for its arrival."

The quiet didn't last long as some very heavy footsteps came from the foggy town. A cyclopean giant dressed in disheveled purple and green clothing, consisting of a helmet, cape and tunic, known as a Gaoler stomped its way up to them. It dragged its big heavy mace with it as it's undead body lumbered forth.

"Oh dear, that's not good...," Melchior said with a hard swallow.

"Just watch out for the mace!" Crono warned.

"Which goes without saying!" Melchior responded.

The Gaoler batted away any other undead that got in its way and tried to smash Crono and his party with its mace. Luckily, its body was so slow that it often failed to even land a blow anywhere near them. Crono's team picked off undead and struck the Gaoler with magic and futuristic weapons until the Neo Epoch could be heard overhead. "We must slay the Gaoler for it to safely land," informed Garet.

"No problem!" Crono said as he readied his sword. "I'll just use my new and improved, 'Will Breaker', technique!" he said confidently. He focused his inner spirit and his sword gleamed with a pure white light. He slashed at the ground like he would for a Wind Slash, but instead of one sword beam, the Gaoler was consumed by five of them along with anything else that stood in its way.

Many Fiends were slain along with the Gaoler and the Neo Epoch landed. "Come, we must hurry," Garet said as everyone quickly boarded the strange and incomplete looking machine. As it began to take off into the air, more zombies flooded the streets of Medina. Luckily, the Neo Epoch had risen high enough to evade them. Garet typed in some codes and with a distortion in time and space, they were consumed by a bright light.

*Chronopolis*

The Neo Epoch appeared and it was placed snugly in a futuristic hangar. The party disembarked and Garet urged them to follow him. "Right this way, I'll take you to see Chronopolis's head scientist and curator, Belthasar," he said.

They followed Garet through the facility and it was as grand as Ty and Tomo explained earlier. Eventually, they were taken to the core. They were amazed. The Frozen Flame was suspended by many machines and kept dormant as those same needle like structures siphoned energy from the artifact.

In front of the master controls was a strange creature. It was a Nu. Garet approached the Nu and it came over to Crono and Melchior, "Greetings my boy! It's me Belthasar, I copied my mind into this Nu so I could continue my work. And is this? It is! My old friend Melchior! How wonderful it is to see you! Makes an old man tear up a bit!" he said joyfully.

"Belthasar you old bastard!" Melchior started with a chuckle. "You preserved your conscience inside one of these guys?"

"Well, it's as you once believed Melchior! All life begins with a Nu and ends with a Nu, or something like that anyway!" Belthasar chuckled. "Well, shall we get down to business then?"

"Indeed, we must not waste anymore time!" Melchior said as he took a seat in a nearby computer chair and moaned with comfort. Garet simply stood quietly out of the way, his back against a wall.

"Well, young man, you must be pretty shaken up after all this conflict!" Belthasar said to Crono.

"More or less...," Crono said keeping his composure.

"So perhaps a familiar voice would ease you a tad! Prometheus, come on out and say hello to your old friend!" asked Belthasar politely.

The massive supercomputer booted up and a very familiar voice echoed through the speakers in the room. "Crono, how wonderful it is to see you again!" said the voice.

"Robo! Alright, we told Lucca you would still exist in the future! But, where is your body?" Crono asked confusedly.

"It was dismantled. I asked Belthasar to integrate me into this old Mother Brain supercomputer, we now call FATE after the Goddess, so I could help keep the Frozen Flame dormant and asleep so Dalton could not see into this era!" Robo explained.

"Help keep it dormant? How?" Crono asked, even more confused.

"Allow me to explain," Robo started. "Belthasar has informed me of all the history of the Frozen Flame. After our first corrections to the time had been made, Dalton sought to claim all of history for himself. He knew of the Frozen Flame and wandered for a long time until two explorers managed to find it! You know those two as Ty Drayguard and Tomo Levine!"

"Yeah, but Dalton said the Flame was something he owned regardless of what era it's in, how did you guys get it?" Crono asked scratching his head.

"That's the best part!" Robo started as he imitated excitement. "The time traveling you have just previously done was, I believe the work of the 'Entity' that we talked about in Fiona's Forest. Do you remember? It was taking you guys through the original history of the Frozen Flame itself and all of its major points in history. Like how before, we took part in the historical events that involved Lavos! So there are two separate time lines going on right now. The traveling you just did, is the Origin of the Flame. It broke off in Prehistory, was discovered by man who it mutated, along with many other forms of life, in the Ice Age, then fell into Zeal's possession where it powered the Mammon Machine right under our noses. After Zeal, it fell into the Fiend's hands who feared it and locked it away and sealed it on the abandoned Zenan continent. Then it was found by Irma Guardia and Lex Blueriver, who originally decided to keep it sealed. Then it lied dormant until the far future when the castle was dismantled and found by scientists. Fearing it, they did not touch the dormant Flame. Their tests concluded that it was a powerful source of energy so they kept it hidden away until the Day of Lavos. However, we stopped that and when Belthasar came through in 2300 A.D. he tracked down the Flame in an attempt to study it so we could safely study Lavos. He climbed the ranks of some of the best scientists in 2300 A.D. and managed to secure the Flame!"

"Wow, so what happened then? Ty said he found the Flame at the bottom of the Sea of El Nido in our time!" Crono explained.

"We figured something went wrong when he and Tomo appeared here not to long ago," Robo mentioned. "Ty dropped of an interesting clue that helped us make some better calculations to avoid a Time Crash."

"What's a Time Crash?" Crono asked puzzled.

"A Time Crash occurs when two very large masses from past and future collide together," Robo stated. "We assumed the first one, was activated by Lavos itself, trying to interrupt our first journey by sending this facility back to Antiquity, but it failed because the entire facility was placed in the middle of the ocean, where it subsequently sank to the bottom."

"So basically, what your saying is, Ty and Tomo found the Flame from the future that was sent back and that was the one Dalton claimed?" Crono said beginning to understand.

"Yes! The fact is, we had the Flame first all along here at this facility, but it had no Arbiter," Robo began. "In fact, we now believe Lavos wanted to get the Flame out of our possession and that was its real reason for causing a Time Crash. So it could have another chance at obtaining an Arbiter!"

"This is just a theory however, at least for now...," Belthasar noted as he cleared his throat.

"So what is an Arbiter and why's it so important to Lavos?" Crono asked.

"An Arbiter is an organism that fuses with Lavos, via the Frozen Flame," Robo stated. "The last registered Arbiter of the Flame was Schala, but she was killed in the Ocean Palace Disaster when she sent us away with her magic. However, our scans indicate that there was a 50% chance she would have survived if she would have used the Frozen Flame, but this would have been terrible. Could you imagine what a fusion between Lavos and one of the most powerful people in history would have done? We theorize that it could have split the very dimensions, or even destroyed all of time-space!"

"Yikes, glad that didn't happen, but then again, Dalton getting the Flame isn't a good alternative either!" Crono said.

"Yes, but thankfully, since we had the Flame first and kept it contained this whole time, Dalton does not know of this era! That soon may come to an end however, as he has noticed that he can't see this far and the Flame's energy is being siphoned by something," Belthasar added.

"What year is this anyway?" Crono asked curiously.

"2400 A.D. the Further Future!" Robo informed.

"Wow, that far, huh? What does it look like out there?" Crono asked with a child-like curiosity.

"It's beautiful!" Robo claimed ecstatically. "It may not last long however, as we believe Dalton is planning something a few hundred years back. He can't see this time period so he may be trying to stir up trouble to reveal the Flames location! We must stop him before he manages to find us!"

Crono took a stand, "Okay Robo! Just tell me what I need to do and I'll do it!"

"Now there's a brave lad!" Melchior said proudly.

"The Neo Epoch is not yet completed as you have seen," Belthasar began. "So we can't let you use it as it is now. However, there is an alternative, but it is less than ideal. Lucca's Telepod technology was left over from the distant past and I was able to locate some of her original work in a museum. It was not a problem for someone like me to figure out how it worked. Anyway, I adapted the tech hee at Chronopolis and we can now use it to send people we want to the past or future, via special Gates we call 'Rifts'! Rifts are a one way trip though, so you'll need to use your Gate Key and our incomplete Time Eggs to make it back!"

"Time Eggs?" Crono asked with a tilt of his head.

"Yes, I believe Gaspar is to thank for that magic and tech, but he is still at the End of Time for now," Belthasar explained. "Take a Time Egg with you and your wife's pendant when you approach one of the original Gates across the world. The Time Egg will break Dalton's seal on the Gate and you can use it top come back here instead of the End of Time, as Dalton still has it sealed."

"Got it, but wait! Marle has her pendant with her and I don't know where she is!" Crono said in distress.

"Not to worry!" said Robo optimistically. "We can trace her as we did you!"

"Really, that's wonderful!" Crono said happily.

"We found you by tracing disturbances in time and we sent Garet there, but you had quickly vanished shortly after," Robo continued. "Since no time disturbances were made when you vanished again, we ran a magic trace and found that Melchior had taken you to his home in Regiorra. Garet stopped there, but you must have just missed him as you wen to Medina. It was a gamble, but we determined that you would head to Medina in search of the Gate and we were right!"

"Well, I'm glad Garet caught up to us when he did! Thanks Garet!" Crono said gratefully.

"Your thanks is unneeded. I was simply doing my duty, but it is appreciated nonetheless," replied Garet.

"Anyway, finding Marle should not be difficult, but retrieving her is another story...," Robo stated with unease.

"Why, what's happened?" Crono asked, growing a tad pale.

"Every friend has ended up in a separate era, Crono," Robo began. "You must retrieve them all to restore balance and have any hope of defeating Neo Emperor Dalton! Including my old self!"

"You want me to get you from 2300 A.D.?" Crono asked curiously.

"Close! More like 2305 A.D.! I should be hanging around a Robot Colosseum at that time, so I should not be hard to find!" Robo informed. "Before that though, we must find Marle before anyone else!" Robo finished as he began computing and locating Marle. "This will take a few moments! Please hold! Ah, here we are! Oh, this is bad!"

"What, what's bad?!" Crono asked nervously.

"I located Marle by searching for the signal her pendant gives off. She's in a place called the El Nido Archipelago in the year 2995 B.C.!" Robo claimed worriedly.

"How? Shouldn't we have changed the future by now?" Crono asked confused.

"Yes, by you being here, I have cancelled the Counter-Time Experiment indefinitely so we would have no chance of being exposed," Belthasar stated.

"Unless Dalton is powerful enough to terra form the planet on his own, I don't see any other way that anything should be at El Nido," Robo said, stunned.

"Alright, send me there, I'll get her out, just tell me everything I'll need to know!" Crono said bravely.

"We don't have much choice," Belthasar added. "Prometheus, where is the Gate that Crono can escape from?"

Robo performed some scans, "Ah, there is one on a beach to the south on the main island. I am grateful that it is far from the main city where Dalton rules!" he said with relief.

"Good, Crono come with me! You too Garet! I'm sending you with Crono on a big mission!" Belthasar ordered.

"Yes, sir!" Garet complied.

Belthasar took Crono and Garet to the Telepod Chamber. Maps of all eras could be seen on monitors. Belthasar handed Crono an incomplete Time Egg, "Here, this will break Dalton's seal and prevent him from sealing it again. Just get on the large pad there with Garet and I'll send you on your way!" he explained.

Crono and Garet complied and they stepped on the Telepod, "This feels like Deja Vu!" Crono said with a chuckle.

"All right, get ready you two! Retrieve your wife and Queen, King Crono! Let this be the beginning of the end of Dalton's New World Order!" Belthasar shouted encouragingly as he activated the machine. It created an artificial Rift and Crono and Garet vanished within, headed to a time they did not know.

*End of Act 3*


End file.
